Why is there a need for a "gay day" for skydiving? Or any other kind of "day"?

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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Or a free jump on your birthday?

Where does that?

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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I still don't understand. You say don't have a problem with people thinking you are gay or pro-gay or whatever. But then you say you don't want people to mistakenly think you are pro-gay.

I have no problem with people thinking I might be gay, or thinking I might be straight but pro-gay.

I am saying that I would have liked to be able to use rainbows as decorations without it necessarily giving people cause to think either of those things. You simply cannot do that anymore, because far and wide, the rainbow is associated with gay pride. You "don't get" that? Are you kidding me?

What if you just liked birds' wings, and you put a sticker of birds' wings on your car? People are going to probably think you're Airborne or something, or a pilot, who knows? But that's not your intent. It's not that it would bother you if they thought that -- it's that you had a message (or an absence of a message) but your symbol still got taken as a message you did not mean to send.

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Some people think my earrings make me gay.

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Why? Do you stick 'em up your ass?

It's been a long long time since having an earring was meant (and understood) to mean that a guy was saying he was gay. I have my left ear and left nipple pierced. Has nothing to do with my sexual orientation, and no one has ever seemed to think that they did, or asked me if they did.

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-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

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[kelpdiver 2]

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I never said I could not put a rainbow on my car, but I don't, because I don't want it to be seen as a statement that I'm gay when I'm not. And because gay people have "taken" that symbol, I am not entirely free to use it as a neutral symbol of, "Hey, this rainbow looks cool on my car" thing

at risk of proving the need for such a boogie, what straight man would think a rainbow would look cool on his car!?

[billvon 3,064]

>I'm still pissed off that gays have commandeered the use of the image of
>a rainbow, which is a really cool thing, and now straight people can't use it
>as stickers on their cars and stuff because people will misconstrue it as
>being a statement that they're gay.

I have two rainbow canopies and half a dozen T-shirts with rainbows on them. Guys don't ask me out when I'm wearing them. Besides which - who cares how people misconstrue things? Do you not wear a Nike shirt because you are afraid people will confuse you with the Cold War missile manufacturer? Would you not wear an Aerodyne Pilot shirt because you are worried that people will mistake you for a professional pilot?

[kelpdiver 2]

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I can certainly imagine a need, though not in my parts.

I am sure the 's' was a slip, but damn that is funny.

I think the 's' is there intentionally, but it's still a hilarious double entendre!

if it's anything, it's a Freudian slip, not a double e.

I don't think there's a need for San Francisco area DZs to do such an event. Of course, there's really no need to do Pride week or St Paddy's day, but this town is full of people looking for reasons to get drunk and/or naked.

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[billvon 3,064]

>Where does that?

Perris and Skydive San Diego, for two.

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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>they have something skydive-specific to accomplish.

And what skydiving specific purpose does Chicks Rock have? Or a Halloween Boogie? Or a free jump on your birthday? Or a Hispanic Jumpers barbeque at the DZ? Boogies are put on because they are FUN, not because they fulfill specific goals.

I already said that I don't see the need or purpose of gender-specific or ethnic-specific events or boogies. Holiday boogies, I already said, are just a natural extension of human beings getting together on holidays. That has little or nothing to do with who or what they are as people. Hispanic Jumpers? I think that's another division along ethnic or racial lines that we as a society ought to be abandoning if we are trying to create peace among people.

The "skydive-specific" thing I was talking about was regarding what kind of jumping they have gathered to do. Not a goal like setting a record or rescuing a child from a well, Bill. It's about the specific activity. Is there "GAY skydiving"? Do gays, women, hispanics, blacks, heterosexuals skydive differently? NO. But freeflyers, belly flyers, wingsuit flyers, yes, they do skydive differently.

Motocross racers do not show up at Daytona to race with the cars, Bill. Those kinds of differences make sense. You don't bring your rifles to try to sell at a home and garden show, you wait til there's a gun show. But there would be no point to having a GAY GUN SHOW, would there?

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-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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I never said I could not put a rainbow on my car, but I don't, because I don't want it to be seen as a statement that I'm gay when I'm not. And because gay people have "taken" that symbol, I am not entirely free to use it as a neutral symbol of, "Hey, this rainbow looks cool on my car" thing

at risk of proving the need for such a boogie, what straight man would think a rainbow would look cool on his car!?

This one. I like colors, and I like bright combinations of them. I also like nature and natural phenomena like spectra. I think they're neat.

But if I put a rainbow sticker on my car, a large portion of the people who see it will -- mistakenly -- think I'm trying to demonstrate my support for gayness.

It is neither here nor there that I actually do support people's right to be gay if that's how they are. I simply don't want to be putting out that message but I can't put a rainbow on my car and not put out that message anymore.

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-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

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I have two rainbow canopies and half a dozen T-shirts with rainbows on them. Guys don't ask me out when I'm wearing them. Besides which - who cares how people misconstrue things? Do you not wear a Nike shirt because you are afraid people will confuse you with the Cold War missile manufacturer? Would you not wear an Aerodyne Pilot shirt because you are worried that people will mistake you for a professional pilot?

How much of the general population knows that Nike has an association with missile manufacture? (Besides which, I'm sure one would accompany the word "Nike" with the "swoosh" (tm) insignia and make the distinction quite clear.) And I am a private pilot who has never heard of Aerodyne in a professional-pilot connection, so...

But rainbow/gay-pride is known all over. And why should I care if I wear something that someone mistakenly construes to be an "I'm gay" statement? Because it may mean they decide not to like me, for erroneous reasons. I'd rather leave the reasons they dislike me up to ME. (And no, I never pretended that being perceived as gay could not cause bigots to dislike you on the spot.)

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-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[champu 1]

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I never said I could not put a rainbow on my car, but I don't, because I don't want it to be seen as a statement that I'm gay when I'm not. And because gay people have "taken" that symbol, I am not entirely free to use it as a neutral symbol of, "Hey, this rainbow looks cool on my car" thing

You could always make a sticker that says "I LOVE RAINBOWS (NOT GAY)" and I'm sure it would get your point across without any confusion.

And regarding the Gay Boogie...

Themed boogies like this are really just for a change of pace. I made a lot of really cool skydives during Chick's Rock last year, and I'm on the DVD for about 10 seconds, 8 of which are me funneling a hybrid but you know what, who cares? I don't need the spotlight on me all the time, the boogie was about chicks, so the spotlight was on them.

[kelpdiver 2]

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But if I put a rainbow sticker on my car, a large portion of the people who see it will -- mistakenly -- think I'm trying to demonstrate my support for gayness.

Well, don't you support it?! I'm just not seeing a serious problem here.

Personally, I see the pink triangle that way, but not the rainow. Making I'm thinking back to Jesse Jackson, or maybe it's just that my caveman side presumes there is a woman at the wheel.

[Nightingale 0]

Well, chances are, an anti-gay population isn't going to overwhelm a dropzone during an advertized gay boogie. Seems like it's an opportunity for people to get together and not have to worry about what somebody's going to say if they give their SO a kiss pass.

A few others have commented about the US constitution and "here in the US..." etc... um... isn't this boogie in Canada? What's the US constitution have to do with anything?

[GTAVercetti 0]

I don't care what message people think I am sending. You know why? Because I know what I mean by my actions. You try to say it does not bother you, but it does. It really does bother you that people think something about you because of their preconcieved notions that might not true. You can talk semantics all day long but in the end, but there it is.

If it did not bother you, you would have rainbows where ever you wanted. And you wouldn't care if someone thought you were sending some kind of message or not.

You like rainbows, fucking use em. And damn what message people think you are sending.

Okay, I am done with this sub-topic. Semantics games are boring.

Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing.

[MC208B 0]

ack....ugh....thanks a lot for the visual Bill!

[billvon 3,064]

> But there would be no point to having a GAY GUN SHOW, would there?

No point for me. But if some people wanted to do that, why not? There are events for people who read science fiction, who want to play at medieval or civil war re-enactments, for single women who want to do stuff together, for married couples and retired people who want to do things with people like themselves. There are gay support groups, support groups for recent Hispanic immigrants, Jewish societies and dating services for vegetarians and Hindus. There are tours for Japanese tourists, parades for gay men, veterans and Irish, and "ladies nights" at bars.

There is no _need_ for any of these. (Heck, there's no _need_ for the WFFC!) But sometimes people want them - and I see nothing wrong with that, especially when the group does not exclude people outside their target groups (and most do not.)

[MC208B 0]

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And you reminded me that I'm still pissed off that gays have commandeered the use of the image of a rainbow, which is a really cool thing, and now straight people can't use it as stickers on their cars and stuff because people will misconstrue it as being a statement that they're gay.


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What rubbish! If you want a rainbow on your car, no-one or nothing is stopping you except your own bias and prejudice.

Who made YOU King of the Universe, to tell anyone else what kind of boogie they should organize?

All these rainbows on the license plates here are endorsing the gay lifestyle! I'm besides myself! (JK Keith and Narc)

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[billvon 3,064]

>And why should I care if I wear something that someone mistakenly
>construes to be an "I'm gay" statement? Because it may mean they
>decide not to like me . . . .

If someone thinks I'm gay because my BTS shirt has a rainbow on it. and they don't like any gays, I figure I'm ahead of the game. It will save all concerned some unhappiness later when they discover I associate with the likes of Keith, or Emily, or Jason, or Scott.

[Rebecca 0]

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I can certainly imagine a need, though not in my parts.

I am sure the 's' was a slip, but damn that is funny.

I think the 's' is there intentionally, but it's still a hilarious double entendre!

if it's anything, it's a Freudian slip, not a double e.

I disagree. He meant to say 'parts', as in, "Folks in these here parts don't take kindly to bein' told they can't have a boogie for their gay kin."

But it's a double entendre, because his private parts don't have a need for a gay boogie, presumably because he's straight, whereas someone else's parts just might feel that need.

you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel loquacious?' -- well do you, punk?

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[MC208B 0]

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I have two rainbow canopies and half a dozen T-shirts with rainbows on them. Guys don't ask me out when I'm wearing them. Besides which - who cares how people misconstrue things? Do you not wear a Nike shirt because you are afraid people will confuse you with the Cold War missile manufacturer? Would you not wear an Aerodyne Pilot shirt because you are worried that people will mistake you for a professional pilot?

How much of the general population knows that Nike has an association with missile manufacture? (Besides which, I'm sure one would accompany the word "Nike" with the "swoosh" (tm) insignia and make the distinction quite clear.) And I am a private pilot who has never heard of Aerodyne in a professional-pilot connection, so...

But rainbow/gay-pride is known all over. And why should I care if I wear something that someone mistakenly construes to be an "I'm gay" statement? Because it may mean they decide not to like me, for erroneous reasons. I'd rather leave the reasons they dislike me up to ME. (And no, I never pretended that being perceived as gay could not cause bigots to dislike you on the spot.)

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One of the planes I maintain has an Aerodyne terrain/colision aviodance system installed. It sucks. It's probably gay

[kelpdiver 2]

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I can certainly imagine a need, though not in my parts.

I am sure the 's' was a slip, but damn that is funny.

I think the 's' is there intentionally, but it's still a hilarious double entendre!

if it's anything, it's a Freudian slip, not a double e.

I disagree. He meant to say 'parts', as in, "Folks in these here parts don't take kindly to bein' told they can't have a boogie for their gay kin."

But it's a double entendre, because his private parts don't have a need for a gay boogie, presumably because he's straight, whereas someone else's parts just might feel that need.

I am the "he" in this. So I can answer as to intent.

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[billvon 3,064]

>One of the planes I maintain has an Aerodyne terrain/colision
>aviodance system installed.

But the important question - does it have a rainbow on it?

[Andy9o8 2]

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I knit. I make hemp necklaces. I mostly go barefoot or in flipflops when I have to, and I wear a silver toe-ring. I talk a mile-a-minute about movies and anything else that comes to mind. I'm a sweet person ...
...I like colors, and I like bright combinations of them.

Psst..Jeff...I've got news for you: You're gay.

[GTAVercetti 0]

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But it's a double entendre, because his private parts don't have a need for a gay boogie, presumably because he's straight, whereas someone else's parts just might feel that need.

I am the "he" in this. So I can answer as to intent.

[dropoutdave 0]

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>One of the planes I maintain has an Aerodyne terrain/colision
>aviodance system installed.

But the important question - does it have a rainbow on it?

That would be the rainbow avoidance system.

------------------------------------------------------
May Contain Nut traces......

[MC208B 0]

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>One of the planes I maintain has an Aerodyne terrain/colision
>aviodance system installed.

But the important question - does it have a rainbow on it?

Not on the outside of the "black box". Probably has some rainbow circuitry I would imagine!