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Outside the gay ghetto - Page 2

© Van Waffle

It's still a hard world, but not so much. We have less to fear, but still we hide. Like everyone else, we prefer to remain isolated, avoiding unfamiliar things, and people with strange ideas.

Now, gays and lesbians tend to have higher disposable income than the average person, and a disproportionate burden of pain to ease. Too many of us go overboard. I see many people, young and not so young, pouring their lives into the pursuit of materialism and a beautiful body, spending their free time and money going from one drug-hazed rave to another. We're puppet caricatures of the average North American. We're losing our connection and sense of balance, not only with the natural world, but with ourselves. I'm afraid many gays and lesbians are prime movers in the wagon of self-destruction that plagues society as a whole.

I feel this separation more acutely because I'm a gay man who loves the woods and would rather spend my summer weekends camping than bar hopping. It hasn't been easy finding friends who share my values.

But such people do exist. Some gay and lesbian communities live firmly entrenched in rural life. Ruralgay.com celebrates this lifestyle. Toronto's Out & Out club helps reconnect urban dwellers with the great outdoors through hikes, camping and other activities. Then there are bears, a gay subculture which tries to overcome the usual stereotpyes of male beauty and masculinity by celebrating larger, hairy bodies and facial hair. Bears are often, though not always, associated with a rugged, outdoor lifestyle.

Earth-based religions are also relatively popular in gay and lesbian culture. And many lesbians associate with ecofeminism.

As part of my Pride celebration, I wish to applaud those who are courageous enough to live outside the ghetto and embrace a simpler, more responsible lifestyle. Gays and lesbians are essential members of the wider community. We are activists and trend setters. We have important resources at our disposal. If we forget responsibility and put all our energy into achieving and celebrating our freedoms, we may soon find we have no place left suitable to exercise them. We will only be facilitating the human exploitation of this planet.

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