I found this video very interesting. ABC News conducted a test to see how people would react to a gay-bashing. They staged a verbal gay-bashing scenario at a local sports bar in Linden, N.J. by hiring an actor to play a homophobic patron and two actors to play a gay couple. Another set of actors played a heterosexual couple at the opposite end of the bar.
I was surprised at the result of the video. It's funny how we as gays change our behavior when out in public and especially in what would be considered a very straight bar. Take a look at what happens.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=456eb9c1-8b66-48e2-b74d-6afb358919a5)
I thought this was a very interesting video as well. My partner and I discussed it at length and begged the question, "What would have happened if they had put them in Arkansas or Mississippi?" I think the results would have been dramatically different. I know for myself, when in those places, I've seen heightened levels of racism and homophobia first hand.
ReplyDeleteJay, I thought the same thing. I think the reaction would be different in the south or in the bible belt. But I think Jersey is a good place to start.
ReplyDeleteYou'd also be surprised at how homophobic people can be in a place like Chicago. I used to belong to a women's group where one of the members called for a boycott of a Mexican Restaurant in an area near boystown. The reason was that several lesbian couples went there to dine and were asked to leave by the waiter because they showed the kind of typical affection you would see a heterosexual couple show when on a date in a public place. It was nothing perverse or over the top. Just a little pda. The waiter told them it was a family restaurant and "that" wasn't allowed. Clearly the same behavior was tolerated from heterosexuals. In any case, there was a big uproar and there were articles in at least one of the local gay papers about it.
ReplyDeleteI saw this on TV and I was actually surprised at the results. It was affirming. But then again, it NJ and not the South. I'm sure that would have a different presective
ReplyDelete