Gay or Straight -- the 60 Minutes Report

[gabosaurus]

Intriguing. Takes points from both sides.
http://60minutes.yahoo.com/segment/68/gay_or_straight

[Nienna]

I watched the first & second clips. I found them to be extremely disgusting. For one thing, Jared was TOO stereotypically boyish. Siblings often go to opposite extremes in order to obtain parental attention. Where was the father in that family? Seemed to me as if the mother was pushing the "diversity" on her kids. The "expert" said the mother treated the boys in the same way, but if that was true, what's with the pastel pony v/s GI Joe bedroom themes? Presumably, the boys did not decorate their own rooms. And Adam's nail job was professional, with airbrushed designs. The mom took her son out for a manicure. Adam probably likes the attention he gets from his "gender nonconformity." Look how he described the scene at school when he showed his peers his manicure. He was eating up the attention.

My guess is this:
1) The mother is a social liberal, in love with the idea of "accepting diversity."
2) The father is out of the picture, or plays a minimal role.
3) The mother noticed different tendencies in the boys at an early age, but instead of affirming Adam's maleness, she pushed him in the opposite direction, so that she could feel as if she was being a supportive and accepting mother.

My older son liked to play with Barbies when he was younger, and he was allowed. I think the main fascination was working the snaps & velcro on the outfits. Even at age 7, he is not a rough-and-tumble type of boy, like my 5-year-old. However, if asked to describe himself, he would NEVER say he was "like a girl." That poor kid (Adam) needs to be affirmed in what he IS--- a BOY. Perhaps a gentler, more sensitive type of boy, but a BOY, nonetheless. Kids that young do not decide to be that way; they are guided or encouraged.

[avatar4321]

This is exactly why we need to put the father back in the family.

[Nienna]

Watched a couple more clips...

For the body movements and the voice... which came first, the chicken or the egg? Is the body language the predictor, or is it the RESULT of one's self-definition. I had my nails done yesterday, and I FEEL prettier. I have noticed myself making more delicate motions with my hands than I did before I got my nails done. It will probably wear off once I begin to see myself as the laundress/dishwasher/yard worker/toilet scrubber. I do NOT feel pretty when I scrub toilets, and I'm sure my body language is telling.

Also, simply because (for instance) a girl has broader, more decisive movements, doesn't mind being dirty, etc... that does not mean she will grow up to be a lesbian. Take my sister and me. My sister always identified more with my father. She played in the mud, got filthy-dirty, liked hard work and sweat. I played with mud, too, however, only my hands got dirty, and they were quickly rinsed. At the end of the day, my mom would often chide my sister for the state of her clothes, while mine might have only had a spot or two. Both of us grew up to be very straight.

Actions and habits are not surefire indicators of the direction of sexual attraction. I think they are, rather, the results of one's self-definition.

[avatar4321]

Watched a couple more clips...

For the body movements and the voice... which came first, the chicken or the egg? Is the body language the predictor, or is it the RESULT of one's self-definition. I had my nails done yesterday, and I FEEL prettier. I have noticed myself making more delicate motions with my hands than I did before I got my nails done. It will probably wear off once I begin to see myself as the laundress/dishwasher/yard worker/toilet scrubber. I do NOT feel pretty when I scrub toilets, and I'm sure my body language is telling.

Also, simply because (for instance) a girl has broader, more decisive movements, doesn't mind being dirty, etc... that does not mean she will grow up to be a lesbian. Take my sister and me. My sister always identified more with my father. She played in the mud, got filthy-dirty, liked hard work and sweat. I played with mud, too, however, only my hands got dirty, and they were quickly rinsed. At the end of the day, my mom would often chide my sister for the state of her clothes, while mine might have only had a spot or two. Both of us grew up to be very straight.

Actions and habits are not surefire indicators of the direction of sexual attraction. I think they are, rather, the results of one's self-definition.

Im certainly glad women who like to get dirty arent de facto lesbians. Women who can work hard even in unpleasant conditions are incredibly attractive.

[gabosaurus]

Thanks for not taking an open mind into watching the program. Perhaps I am used to watching such things as a psychology student and not as a diehard fundy with preset notions and ideas.