Quote Originally Posted by thir View Post
Apparently we are not there yet.
Social changes never happen everywhere all at once. There are bound to be holdouts for at least a generation, often several.

I have never quite understood this deep rooted fear (or whatever) of homosexuallity. Why is it so persistent, and so widespread?
I think it's to do with the gut fear of something that looks like us but isn't. Also known as "Uncanny Valley"
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph.../UncannyValley

The cure for it is to expand the definition of "us." That's why most studies have found that the surest way to convert the prejudiced is to let them get to know a few gays just as people, schoolmates or neighbours or co-workers. Hence the importance of coming out and staying out.
Many men are still very nervous of being called 'fags', while it seems there are no problems for women.
It is interesting. I wonder if the problem is that in popular culture, we've emphasised "gay" as a separate identity to the point where it excludes normal male sexuality. Perhaps if there were more awareness of bisexuality as a common and widespread orientation, so that one same-sex sexual feeling doesn't mean you're never going to be any good to women, it would be a less sensitive subject.

My impression from outside, through such admittedly unreliable sources as comics, is that for pubescent girls any suspicion of lesbian tendencies is social death. But I agree that in older women it's a non-issue.

Perhaps the difference happens because, if I can put it this way, bisexuality is to some extent built into female sexuality. Women understand that lesbians can still have and use all the powers of female attraction, up to and including having sex with men for practical gain if they choose. Whereas a lot of men absolutely cannot believe that gay men can be attractive to women, and are regularly stunned when some hunky film star or rock singer is outed. "Buuuut... My wife thinks he's so hot??? How can he be gay?"