Back into the closet

[binidj]

There's not a great deal can make me ashamed of who I am¹ but every now and then I see something that just makes me want to crawl back into the closet and deny any association with the fucktards with whome I share a sexuality. To clarify, I just saw an article³ entitled "NHS Pulls Funding On Gay Smoking Cessation" ... reading it just confirmed my fears. I mean, what the hell are my special cultural needs that mean that normal smoking cessation services won't work for me? It's (demands for) special treatment like this that I firmly believe fuels prejudice and hostility, and I don't want any part of it. For goodness' sake, there are chronic funding shortages in the NHS and these idiots are bitching about losing support for a smoking cessation course which by its nature excludes most of the population ... it's just sickening.

Then again, maybe I don't understand the special issues involved because I am, in fact, not gay ... perhaps the definitions have become about cultural issues rather than about who you play "hide the salami" with ... and gods protect me from that repulsive edifice known (ironically I have to suppose) as gay "culture."

¹ Ok sometimes my weirdo hobbies² can make me shuffle my feet a bit.
² Tabletop, live and online roleplaying games.
³ There was a link from a survey I filled in ... I don't think I shall be a regular visitor.

Comments

[castorlion.livejournal.com]

Amen! There's little that fuels prejudice and hatred more than unnecessary segregation. The message should be "everybody are just people" rather than "we're different and special".

[deadmandancing.livejournal.com]

While I can see your point I believe we are somewhat different. I can't remember the last time a fundamentalist christian was beaten up just for being so. Yes that statement is a heavy and over-used bat to bring into a conversation so early but I believe the sentiment rings true.

Any group that is going to involve dealing with an addiction, especially if it involved group therapy, will need to make the people feel comfortable. I know that even now I would still be wary about openly talking about my sexuality to people I don't know so for people in the closet it must be even worse. It wouldn't be surprising if many of the issues that led people to smoking such as stress were reasons for the initial/continued addiction.

Also is this not a charity for people suffering from Aids with all its related problems? Again I can understand why a special program would have arisen to help Aids sufferers stop smoking in conjunction with other mental & mental health considerations in a constructive non-judgmental situation where the carers have knowledge and experience of what the individuals are going through.

---

While I can understand your arguments regarding the scene and gay culture, they do bring a lot of enjoyment to people all the time. Nowadays its different ofcourse but I remember having loads of fun for years and used to go out on the scene all the time.

Yes in some London clubs there are more sex-orientated places, which I find a tiny bit off-putting also, and sauna's frankly just fill me with dread (tho this may be unfounded as I've never been to one).

Overall I find it a strange mixture of pros and cons. On one hand you get the free gay press with a mass of dirty stories, escort numbers and porn adverts etc. On the other you have something I commend the scene on doing which the government should do ie force all bars and clubs to provide for free the necessary tools which people will no doubt need later on in the night ;-)

The feel of gay culture always seemed very 80s to me. High flying yuppies, in the gym everyday & burning the candle at both ends. Over concern about the body beautiful whilst full of chemicals, living a fast life until you burn out. My hope is that with the current generation of rock/indie teenagers (many of whom are more open to alternate sexualities due homosexuality becoming more popular in mainstream media) that gay culture will have to adapt.

Personally I just wish we had some nice beer on the scene. All that the masses of twinks seem to drink are alcopops or wine so we never get any weissbeer. Role on gay real ale pubs with pie n peas I say. But seriously, if either of you are ever in the leeds area let me know and i'll show you the best places to go out for food and more, whatever your preferences in music or entertainment.

/rant

I can't remember the last time a fundamentalist christian was beaten up just for being so.

[irdm.livejournal.com]

It may be less infrequent in various parts of Ireland and the Middle East

[binidj.livejournal.com]

I can't remember the last time a fundamentalist christian was beaten up just for being so.

Funnily enough I can, it was a few years ago now but I've seen anti-Christian violence in this country. Just because you don't see a thing, it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

As for your other points, I accept them all ... but that's not really my point. There are generalist services out there (group therapy is not the only approach to smoking cessation) which gay men, even gay men living with HIV, can access.

My point is not that specifically targeted solutions don't work, it is that I would rather see much-needed funds being used to improve services that everyone can access and benefit from. My feelings about GMFA aside (and I confess they are somewhat out of date) I cannot believe that funding such an initiative is money well-spent ... even if it were money ring-fenced for the voluntary sector, I would far rather a non-exclusionary body received support.

[deadmandancing.livejournal.com]

Just because you don't see a thing, it doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Agreed. [edited]

Ofcourse we all want the best for the NHS. I personally believe there are many times local/racial/gender etc specific schemes are justified and necessary. So I will have to disagree with you I'm afraid. [edit - Obviously this depends on the situation and should not be wasted unnecessarily]

On a seperate note regarding NHS funding: Again going from my experience the NHS is working brilliantly at the moment. I watch the same TV reports as everyone else and all the scare stories in the papers however this year my mother had a stroke, my uncle had an aneurysm and I had something called Bells Palsy. The service, speed and results from our local hospitals were amazing and far exceeded what could be expected if you believed all you were told.

[s0b.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping that playing devil's advocate here isn't going to get me into a heated argument, but I'm going to do it anyway.

If the programme was for Gay drug addicts would you feel any differently? Whilst I would agree with you that there are no special cultural needs to help a gay man, or woman, or white middle class hetro break a habbit, I'd also suggest that if you were a part of "gay culture" that a mutually supportive and accepting environment is going to offer you a better chance of kicking smack than a fundamentalist church.

Because mainstream culture suggests that you should "learn to beat your nicotine cravings" rather than "coming off the narcotic that is killing you" it adds a slightly camp spin to the programme which, if it had succeeded, might have saved lives.

Sometimes having a silly name is not a crime.

[binidj.livejournal.com]

My argument would be then, that if there is the need for the NHS to spend it's funding on queer-centric smoking cessation programmes, then surely there is an equal need for white-middle class smoking cessation programmes, for fundamentalist Christian smoking cessation programmes, for equestrian smoking cessation programmes. The list of cultures in this country is truly vast, and I do not believe that tailoring health services at them is the best use of a limited pool of money. Far better, in my opinion, is to channel all of the money spent on specific (and exclusionary) cultural programmes in to providing better quality generic services. The National Health Service should be for all of us, not those of us with the biggest placards.

[s0b.livejournal.com]

*if* a particular section of society manages to overcome a drug addiction with more success within a programme made up of people from that section then I agree with you and there should be quit-smoking programmes for each group.

[binidj.livejournal.com]

But there simply isn't enough money in the NHS pot to pay for that ... hence my contention that funds would be better spent on improving generic services.

[westernind.livejournal.com]

>white-middle class

Nah - whiteys and the bourgeois are relatively socially privileged classes. Dunno about them horse-lovers though. They have recently had a nekkid Daniel Radcliffe thrust upon them.

[** we will now stop burbling and return you to your scheduled programming **]

[november-girl.livejournal.com]

*round of applause*