Thanks underdown!
You do not know that I am not surprised by your comment, as I felt that you are honest and ernest!!
But, (excuse my butt), I am totally (or nearly so) surprised by some of your comments herein, especially about gays life downunder.
You stay this: am sure that, if Alma Jnr knew her Dad was gay, and loved him so much that she was open about it, Ennis would have been the first to warn her, because he knew the danger of the attitude in that time and place that she could be subjected to.
Katherine makes a very valid point about straight women being in danger. I have lived in a few cities, and there is a distinctly more prominent fear among women in Sydney. A lot of that is more talk than actual reported occurance. As far as discrimation against, or attacks on, gay people, I can only speak from observation in Sydney, which has a prominent gay population, and other parts of Australia where I have lived.
My general observation is that the gay community here is not reported to suffer bashings and murder just for being gay. Of course, it might occur and not be reported. It did happen many years ago, but even then was rare. There seems, nowadays, a very open feeling between gay and straight people. With extremely few exceptions, I have not, since I was very young, heard any criticism of gay people from women. Quite the reverse. Straight women love gay men. Nor have I heard very much from straight men, for that matter. Here, they are very accepting. And it is quite an open issue for young people. A 19 year old girl might not mention her Dad's homosexuality to anyone unless asked, but would not fear for her father's safety, and would probably not mind talking about the subject in general amongst her friends. My own daughters have no problem talking about it, and I am sure that if I were gay, they would have this same attitude.
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May I disagree about some of your points, and agree with others?? I had a friend who went to see for months his friend who went to lived /workin your country. They enjoyed it, the gay life there; like a new found freedom, since many gays felt that and did that! But then the government via the police closed the gay places down and arrested gays. Yes, that was years ago. I want to know if really gay life is better since then?? How?? Pray so.
Is gay marriage (man with man, or female with female) accepted in your country now??
Canada, England, France, and Spain, accepts gay marriages now, I think. But the USA does not, with few exeptions somewhat. However, your straight marriage (man with female) was accepted?
Concerning youth, they seem to accept gays, from what I see on the internet, where sites lets us comment about the BM movie! But (excuse my butt again), more and more kids are murdering adults! Why?
One just killed an adult a few weeks ago, here! Plus, many other cases, even in these quiet areas (and by that I mean in an democratic country where there is no civil war right now, like in Iraq, or other countries where there is no civil liberties!!
Yesterday, an muslim youth was murdered by her father since she did not were her religious clothes at the high school, in an civilized country: Canada! And there are many other cases of such in this country, and surely in yours, in the USA, England, France... by such extrimists.
With the influx of such so-called extimist religions, now saw a revived movie about Aurore, since her father and step-mother tortured her to death; that was a real case and these so-called parents just spent a few years in jail. But the child's life... is but no more; where is her civil rights and liberties when the whole town, religious authority and law officer neglected this girl, even if they knew that two previous children were murdered too!! To me, this is all over again, giving a blind eye, like in the WWWII days where many countries sent gays to Germany to death camps like over a million, llike for milllions of jews, and like too many children who were said to be retarded or unwanted!!! All freedom loving persons, must fight for our free societies and free laws, by wondrous means!! Right?
To-day, an male lawyer here said on TV that he was over 4 years having to fight in court because a man of 43 years now, said that this lawyer had sex with him as a youth; he says that this cost him millions of $; that the court (I forget how to name that part of justice) had too much added blame for nothing as well as police on trump up like charges; so since he worked and believe in justice, he is now deceived... a lot!! It seems to me that maybe he went to court because he is a gay man (or is not a gay, but thought to be or used as a ruse by criminals)!!
I fight now against criminals here too. Even was told by a lawyer that I should move elsewhere! These criminals used over 8 policemen to hassle my mother and I so far this year!!
Far from here, in a another city where I fought for over 20 yuears a criminal who became an unwanted neighbour,
I had to give him my house... since police, no more local lawyers, neither city would help. The whole neighboujood, which was classy and decent, is now in crack housesafter another. Even, onechild in Grade 6 was hanged in the school bathroom sincehe refused to take drugs! Governments and police did nothing but lipservice!! There now in that city kids galorekill other kids and even adults, some said they do for the fun!! To see one die!! There is another city similar in the USA that is likewise; so a study is being made is to why this happens!
In that one,a gay man was murdered, and one of the two murderers got away with it, since the jury believe him! Was that jury homophobi? The gay guy was born thereand a decent person to all!!
If Alma Jr.] knew orsensed (likely) that her father was a gay person, then so could have blasted her father, killed him or have him murdered, or beaten up, and luckily she was intelligent(to my point of view) and accepted her dad no matter if he was or is hetero, bi, gay or otherwise!!!
Much said and not much said...
awaiting your news,
hugs!