**Rainbow Flops: The GLBTQ Discussion Thread**

[Protential]

General Description:

This can be a general meet up and discussion place about GLBT poker players, questions about the GLBT community and related thoughts. All 2+2'ers are more then welcome to join into the discussion. Anything glbt related is more then welcome to be discussed. The reason this thread is being made in TWSS, is because we glbt'ers are also a minority group in the poker community and TWSS is one of the most accepting places on this site.

If you have any questions for the out gay pros in this thread, the few that i know, myself included, are usually very open people and more then happy to answer questions and discuss our experiences, both live and online (away from and at the tables).

FLAME WARS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. This thread will be heavily modded.


*************************************
General FAQ on GLBT's in the USA:

http://avglbtcenter.com/yahoo_site_a...e.58135904.pdf

Cliffs:

*BEING GAY IS NOT A CHOICE. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not choices, any more than being left-handed or having brown eyes or being straight are choices. The choice is in deciding whether or not to live your life openly and honestly with yourself and others. There have been dozens of scientifically accredited studies on this. (also im certain that any of the GLBT'ers who post itt can attest to the validity of it)

*Its not a "Lifestyle", we are all not promiscuous, or druggies, or flamboyant or butch. Everyone on this site probably knows many glbt people, whether they know about it or not.

*Being gay cannot be cured. No scientifically valid evidence exists that shows that people can change their sexual orientation, although some people do repress it. (Just because they dont have sex with people of the same sex dosn't mean they aren't gay, it just means they aren't having sex :P )

*There are more than 1 million gay and lesbian veterans in the United States (Urban Institute)

*Studies show that anywhere from 3-15% of the population define as being "GLBTQ". (Whether its 3% or 15%, it is still a significant portion of the population, debating it isn't useful)

* You can still be fired from your job in most states, simply for being GLBT, and have no legal recourse — because currently, no federal employment law includes GLBT Americans.

*Eighty-four percent of GLBT students report being verbally harassed — name-calling, threats etc. — at school (GLSEN 2003).

*A 1989 study by the US Department of Health and Human Services showed gay and lesbian youth are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual young people. 30% of the completed youth suicides are committed by lesbian and gay youth annually and suicide is their leading cause of death.



THERE IS A LOT MORE WONDERFUL INFORMATION IN THE FAQ, PLEASE CHECK IT OUT!
**********************************************


Below is a wonderful organization dedicated to helping GLBT youth.

http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Have fun in this thread, be respectful, try to keep an open mind, and i hope everyone learns something and make some wonderful connections.

[JMurder3]

Yup, what OP said. No derailing, no trolling, no rudeness, no intolerance, no abuse etc etc etc.

Even slightly borderline posts will get warnings, and anything blatant the minimum infraction will be 20 points for a 1st offense, escalating from there, and temp-bans are definitely on the table, even for first offenses if ridiculous enough.

If you feel like a post in this thread violates any of the rules, please report it and/or PM me a link to the offensive post & the problem with it. Thx & g'luck

[Protential]

Originally Posted by JMurder3

Yup, what OP said. No derailing, no trolling, no rudeness, no intolerance, no abuse etc etc etc.

Even slightly borderline posts will get warnings, and anything blatant the minimum infraction will be 20 points for a 1st offense, escalating from there, and temp-bans are definitely on the table, even for first offenses if ridiculous enough.

If you feel like a post in this thread violates any of the rules, please report it and/or PM me a link to the offensive post & the problem with it. Thx & g'luck

Thanks!

Note: I made the thread because i am an openly gay professional, i am a 21yr old male from the usa. I have a WSOP FT (and may be the only openly gay guy with 1). If you have any questions for me, feel free to ask.

[ITT666]

Well at least I hold some responsibility and credit in getting this started.

Even if my thread was locked, and my point misunderstood, I am glad to be the impetus for something positive, good and needed.

[BinkScoresLDO]

lovelovelovelove. WELL DONE OP.

Where to start? Any gay players in ottawa? Highly doubt it, god I hate Ottawa.


Would love to see a thread like this really take of.

Originally Posted by Protential

I have a WSOP FT (and may be the only openly gay guy with 1).

Brag enough about this much .

[Protential]

Originally Posted by ITT666

Well at least I hold some responsibility and credit in getting this started.

Even if my thread was locked, and my point misunderstood, I am glad to be the impetus for something positive, good and needed.

+1

I think most of the mods understood the point you were trying to make though. I think having a specific thread like this will help immensely.

Also your post was def the main reason i made this thread, and i whole heartedly agree that there is a need for it, and all of the mods agree. I do believe a sub forum atm would be a bit much, but hopefully there will evntually be a need for something like that even ^.^

[drkamikaze]

Hi queers! I'm an out lesbian and poker pro. Welcome to the thread!

[Rupert]

Ben Grundy and Robin Keston are both openly gay and have a WSOP FT. Obviously Vanessa too. Idk if being gay is specific to males or not tho.

The 1989 study seems a lot less relevant now, I think it is fair to say that a lot has changed in attitudes since then (although probably still some way to go).

[BinkScoresLDO]

Originally Posted by Rupert

Ben Grundy and Robin Keston are both openly gay and have a WSOP FT. Obviously Vanessa too.

owned protential. OWNED

[CalNaughtonRipken]

Originally Posted by Protential

*Eighty-four percent of GLBT students report being verbally harassed — name-calling, threats etc. — at school (GLSEN 2003).

[/B]

Kids today must be a bit more kind than when I grew up because in the 70's, 100% of all students were verbally harassed with name calling and threats at school.

[BinkScoresLDO]

Originally Posted by CalNaughtonRipken

Kids today must be a bit more kind than when I grew up because in the 70's, 100% of all students were verbally harassed with name calling and threats at school.

I mean its nothing compared to what it use to be, but it is VERY far from ideal. I grew up in a school where it was very difficult to be out (didn't have the courage). You would hear kids making gay jokes everyday, constantly assuring their homophobia with every little opportunity. I once heard some gr12 students talking about how some dudes at another school made out in the halls and everyone went, EWW WTF. Its ridiculous how childish kids are today about gays it makes me sick. Not that being out at that school wasn't doable it was just insanely discouraging, and shouldn't have to be.

Why do you think there are so many teenage gay suicides? There was one in my community not too long ago, was really devastating.



/rant


Edit= I know you were just saying its gotten better, still felt like I needed to rant about how ****ty the gay sitatuion is in youth.

[Protential]

Originally Posted by Rupert

Ben Grundy and Robin Keston are both openly gay and have a WSOP FT. Obviously Vanessa too. Idk if being gay is specific to males or not tho.

The 1989 study seems a lot less relevant now, I think it is fair to say that a lot has changed in attitudes since then (although probably still some way to go).

Well today I learned. I looked for hours trying to find some1 else. I obv knew about Vanessa, but I had ment men specifically.

Thanks for the info! Good to see that I'm not the only 1. And def didn't know that Ben was gay.

^.^


Also I realize that the 1989 study is probably a bit innaccurate, but if things have gotten much better in schools here since then I would be surprised.

In high-school I was scared shirtless of coming out, in large part because the few openly gay kids in my school of 2000 students were treated like absolute ****.

It might be better over in the UK. But the USA has a lot of work to do on educating people about the glbt community.

[CalNaughtonRipken]

Originally Posted by BinkScoresLDO

I mean its nothing compared to what it use to be, but it is VERY far from ideal. I grew up in a school where it was very difficult to be out (didn't have the courage). You would hear kids making gay jokes everyday, constantly assuring their homophobia with every little opportunity. I once heard some gr12 students talking about how some dudes at another school made out in the halls and everyone went, EWW WTF. Its ridiculous how childish kids are today about gays it makes me sick. Not that being out at that school wasn't doable it was just insanely discouraging, and shouldn't have to be.

Why do you think there are so many teenage gay suicides? There was one in my community not too long ago, was really devastating.



/rant


Edit= I know you were just saying its gotten better, still felt like I needed to rant about how ****ty the gay sitatuion is in youth.

One point that I was attempting to get across is that often kids are cruel to anyone. As I have gotten older and taken time to examine this I feel that much of this behavior is borne out of fear. When people fail to see the underlying humanity of those who think, look or behave differently than themselves they sometimes become fearful. This fear manifests itself in a variety of negative ways. Teenagers who are extremely self conscious and absorbed are especially prone to a lack of empathy.

PFLAG in the town where I live strives to reach out to at risk kids but still others do not get the help that will allow them to effectively deal with the hostility. One of the things that I find especially upsetting is when the source of hostility is a family member, especially a parent. Two friends who have been partners for 22 years will be having a domestic partner ceremony next year and one of the fathers will not attend because of his disapproval. It is heartbreaking to see how this affects his daughter.

[Protential]

Originally Posted by CalNaughtonRipken

One point that I was attempting to get across is that often kids are cruel to anyone. As I have gotten older and taken time to examine this I feel that much of this behavior is borne out of fear. When people fail to see the underlying humanity of those who think, look or behave differently than themselves they sometimes become fearful. This fear manifests itself in a variety of negative ways. Teenagers who are extremely self conscious and absorbed are especially prone to a lack of empathy.

PFLAG in the town where I live strives to reach out to at risk kids but still others do not get the help that will allow them to effectively deal with the hostility. One of the things that I find especially upsetting is when the source of hostility is a family member, especially a parent. Two friends who have been partners for 22 years will be having a domestic partner ceremony next year and one of the fathers will not attend because of his disapproval. It is heartbreaking to see how this affects his daughter.

This is def true. It is very sad, and much of it comes from how they were raised. There is still very little education in any country about glbt issues, or treating others of different creed/sexuality/race with much respect.

GLBT bullying is actually encouraged in much of the world (including in the usa), and the best way to combat this is in the homes and in the schools.


This last part is very very sad

[SGT RJ]

Kids are viciously cruel.

I was constantly tormented in HS (not for being gay, although there were jokes about that as well, even though I'm straight), and it took years to rebuild my confidence after that experience.

Programs targeting bullying in school might be some of the most important, IMO.