Stonewall Riots and Pride Marches

[Lap Counter]

Back in 1992, Colorado put homosexuality up for a popular vote.

(from Wikipedia) "In 1992, an amendment to the Colorado state constitution (Amendment 2) that would have prevented any city, town, or county in the state from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to recognize gay and lesbian individuals as a protected class was passed by Colorado voters in a referendum."

TV ads showed the excesses of San Francisco's Gay Pride Parade with the voiceover "Is this what you want for Colorado?"

It would have been just as valid to use pictures from any straight Halloween costume party as an argument against tax increases, but it seemed to convince the farmers and sheep herders (and we've all heard about those sheep herders).

[California Dolphin]

From my heterosexual experiences in my high school days in the early 70's, all the girls really liked the look of athletic guys in short shorts or tradtional swim trunks. The usual erotic talk from girls was something to the effect of "You look so sexy in your PE uniform or your swim suit".

Back in those days, guys wearing "boardie shorts" were a nonexistant phenomenon and they would be viewed as "Dorky". I guess the stigma and negative response speedos get today is from indoctrination from various puritanistic (and usually homophobic) groups.

However, as I've posted on several occassions, many guys are rejecting "Half Pants" and the shorter look is definitely making a comeback.

[Lap Counter]

Originally Posted by California Dolphin

From my heterosexual experiences in my high school days in the early 70's, all the girls really liked the look of athletic guys in short shorts or tradtional swim trunks. The usual erotic talk from girls was something to the effect of "You look so sexy in your PE uniform or your swim suit".

Several girls on my summer swim team seemed to spend more time flirting with the guys trying to get their Speedos to tentpole out than they did swimming laps. It worked - nylon Speedos couldn't contain a teen erection.

After practice, it was customary for the swim team guys to just wear their Speedos all day at the country club pool rather than cover them up. Speedos were considered a bit bold, but not inappropriate in those days.

[PSDave]

One major difference between men and women is that women can look at another women in a bikini or topless and not really care. When a str8 man sees a man in a a speedo, thong etc, he is, for some reason, repulsed. I am sure we can go on endlessly why, but the fact remains, women accept other women in skimpy clothes (probably because it gives the something to talk about behind their backs) but men are not comfortable with other men that are in skimpy attire. Unfortunately, with gays so open in wearing skimpy speedos in public, it has put a stigma on speedos that anyone wearing them must be gay. When movies and TV generally use a speedo as a part of a gay characters wardrobe and with gay pride and its legions of speedo wearing marchers, it is easy to see how the generalization can be made. With str8 men not really comfortable around guys in speedos they, of course, won't find them appealing as part of their regular swim attire.

[kumu]

I think many guys have gay impulses they are not comfortable with. Go to a baseball game or football game and watch the guys after they have had a few beers, its real gay, hands and arms all over each other. With the impulse right there seeing attractive guys in speedos or otherwise can make a lot of guys uncomfortable. A taboo is as strong as it needs to be. If the natural drive for male male contact weren't as strong as it is there wouldn't be any need for such strong taboos against it. Maybe the strongest taboo of all. So when a straight guy sees a guy he is attracted to in a skimpy revealing little suit or otherwise, it can be very disturbing, uncomfortable, for him. A guy realizing he is turned on by another guy can shatter his image of himself.

[California Dolphin]

Originally Posted by kumu

I think many guys have gay impulses they are not comfortable with. Go to a baseball game or football game and watch the guys after they have had a few beers, its real gay, hands and arms all over each other. With the impulse right there seeing attractive guys in speedos or otherwise can make a lot of guys uncomfortable. A taboo is as strong as it needs to be. If the natural drive for male male contact weren't as strong as it is there wouldn't be any need for such strong taboos against it. Maybe the strongest taboo of all. So when a straight guy sees a guy he is attracted to in a skimpy revealing little suit or otherwise, it can be very disturbing, uncomfortable, for him. A guy realizing he is turned on by another guy can shatter his image of himself.

Now that you mentioned it, I know the owners of one of the bathhouses here in the S.F. area and he seems to think that a lot of the guys who patronize the club are actually straight men who are looking for gay sex "On the downlow".

The evidence for his theory is that when guys check in at the front window and open their wallets, the clerk often sees photos of what appear to be their girl friends -and in many cases- photos of their wife and children!!!

Guys who are uncertain of their sexuality are petrified by the thought of anyone having public knowledge of their urges so they chose to remain in the closet and sneak out to bathhouses instead of being "open and out".

[kumu]

Reminds me of a total classic. There was a guy who claimed Jesus had 'cured' him of his homosexuality. But about once a month he'd go to a gay bath house just to remind himself of how horrible homosexuality was.

Then there was the San Diego preacher who preached against being gay. A friend said he saw the guy regularly at a bath house. When the preacher passed away of AIDS his obit stated he caught the disease during a transfusion. Even in death, a life based on lies. Such a strong taboo!