[Accygirl]

I'm a libertarian-minded conservative, who likes Dubya's tax cuts and his foreign policy. I, however, try to remain open minded toward other people and their lifestyles, especially since one of my best friends in high school happened to be gay. My parents were always very open to him and very accepting of who he was. I very much doubt that most people spewing such hostile rhetoric on this thread would ever permit their children to hang out with an openly gay child, and that fact makes me very sad.

As for private schools, I attended Catholic schools throughout my life and don't have any use for them. Certain children, whose parents gave $$$ to the school or who were exceptional athletes or students or in some way made the school look really good, didn't have to follow the same rules that the rest of us did. The school administration, especially the principal, also permitted a very poisonous atmosphere to exist in my high school and did nothing to help the victim in any situations. My friend attempted suicide because of their failure to help her, and I know of many other such attempts.

[Campion]

I very much doubt that most people spewing such hostile rhetoric on this thread would ever permit their children to hang out with an openly gay child, and that fact makes me very sad.

Why? I wouldn't permit my child to "hang out" with a child I knew to be fornicating, and I have already had to prohibit my son from visiting a friend's house when I found out that the friend looked at pornography on the Internet.

I love my children enough to want them to have good role models in their life, not bad ones. What a horrible concept.

[flaglady47]

"I very much doubt that most people spewing such hostile rhetoric on this thread would ever permit their children to hang out with an openly gay child, and that fact makes me very sad."

At best you are a libertarian, with liberal tendencies. And, once again, your youth shows through when you use the words "hang out". I think you need more life experience to realize the negative aspects of gay life, rather than thinking of gays as victims.

You aren't the only one who has (or had) gay friends. A professor and friend of mine over time I discovered was gay. Although he covered it up fairly well (he is now about 64) it became more apparent when we, as friends, socialized. He got aids. No one knew what had happened to him, as he disappeared out of sight for a while. Even then, he was in denial, until he came to terms with it, and at that point he got religion. He and his boyfriend became followers of Beni Hin (sp?), a faith healer, and also began attending charismatic Catholic services (yes they do exist), all in hopes of bargaining with God for having lived the lifestyles they partook of. As an aside, when young, he thought about entering the priesthood (as he was Catholic). Funny how gays navigate to an all male priesthood. Not funny to the Catholic church, though, as they have suffered heavily and expensively from the gay Catholic priests in their midst in the USA.

My friend and his boyfriend liked to travel to Turkey and Greece, because young boys were easily available for sexual trysts. They were alcoholics, as so many gays are, and used marijuana frequently. Though I admired greatly my friend (he is a history professor) for his intellect, I don't admire at all his past lifestyle, and frankly, it turns my stomach to the point that I have not maintained contact with him. As both he and his boyfriend have aids, I just don't want to be around them anymore.

This lifestyle behavior is the underbelly that you don't see of the gay lifestyle. Sexual diseases, alcoholism, drugs, and psychological problems. You blame the school for you friend's suicide, which is an emotion based reaction on your part, as the school didn't hold a gun to your friend's head; she chose to do herself in as she, which is so typical of gays, was psychologically messed up. You obviously have issues with the Catholic church, which is logical, as you are so pro-gay and the church is just the opposite.

You also seem to have authority issues to this day, based on your comment "didn't have to follow the same rules that the rest of us did" when referring to your experience in attending a religious school. Bottom line, I think it is you that has the 'tude' problem, and you are still very young and therefore have a propensity to swallow the "victimhood" mentality. What is poisonous here, is your attitude towards your own religion. Perhaps you should try hashing this out with a priest, and see if there is anything retrievable here as far as your faith. I think you need some outside help, as it's not healthy to go through life with a victimhood point of view. Bottom line, you've got issues that need attending to.