My own sexual preference is:
Find a Conversation
My own sexual preference is:
| Wed, 12-21-2005 - 5:39pm |
My own sexual preference is:
- 100% straight - not even a hint of same sex attraction
- Mostly straight, but I can see the attraction
- Mostly straight, but I've experimented
- Straight leaning bi
- Completely bi
- Gay leaning by
- Mostly gay, but I've experimented
- Mostly gay, but I can see the attraction
- 100% gay - not even a hint of opposite sex attraction
- I'm still trying to figure it out
You will be able to change your vote.

I put *Mostly straight, but I can see the attraction* but I would say I'm all straight.
Labels can be troublesome. It sounds to me that for any practical purpose you're straight, but you aren't as straight as someone who's squicked by the idea.
Is that a meaningful difference? Probably not, but its interesting.
What I find most interesting are people who actually have sex with other members of the same sex, but insist they aren't gay or bi. I don't really understand what the labels means to them.
--
martinisnsushi - living the good life since 1963
CL Redbook "Get Inside His Head"
--
martinisnsushi - the two most important food groups!
>>I don't really understand what the labels means to them.<<
It's probably not what the labels mean to them, its probably more about trying to remove the label that the person they are talking to is trying to put on them. I can see how some that have dabbled with same sex interaction can consider themselves to be straight, but technically you'd have to label them "bi" or "gay". And once labelled by other people, I'm sure that they find it hard to shake off.
Away, back to the original question. I answered "I can see the attraction". I consider myself very straight and have no interest in having sexual contact with another man, but from a purely hypothetical point of view I can understand how someone might find a man sexually attractive.
Thats an interesting point of view, and I think I understand too.
There really is a difference to me when I think of something because I'm curious or interested...and then when I'm curious or interested in something at all--I obviously don't bother giving it any thought.
I would only guess that the same difference would also go for those who are and are not open to the idea of sex other than straight sex. If I got that right, then it makes perfect sense to me. Doesn't speak for everybody, but that interesting point of view does make sense to me nevertheless.
C H A R A C T E R
I think you're on the right track. To my mind, there's a difference between something you're absolutely not open to whatsoever to the degree that you can't imagine how anyone else is and something that's not your thing, but you can see how other people might like it (or you might even consider it yourself under the right circumstances).
If we move away from sex, we can see this sort of thing in politics. We all know people who are absolutely Republican or Democrat. Not only can their party do no wrong, but the other party can do no right. These people literally can't conceive of how the other side thinks.
On the other hand, there are lots of Republicans and Democrats who disagree with the other side, but can understand how the other guys got where they are. They may even agree with the other side on a few select issues.
And then you have your true independents/moderates who aren't locked into either party and can see both good and bad in each of the major parties.
I think the same thing happens with sexuality. For some people, the very thought of sex with someone of the same sex is a turn off. Not only are they not gay, but they can't conceive of how anyone could be gay. Then there are people who consider themselves straight, never experiment, and don't have any intention of being with someone of the same sex, but they can see how someone else might enjoy that, or maybe they can even enjoy the occasional fantasy.
To my mind, these groups of people are two different groups of people. They are not all at the same point on the continuum.
--
martinisnsushi - the two most important food groups!
Makes basic sense to me.
Hard to discuss though, there's too many different experiences out there that don't really understand other points of view, therefore just the one point of view exists. Example, I don't know what its like to give birth, so I really have no view on it except for what I was .
Maybe thats the catch, some are willing to be taught a different point of view to consider, some just won't go that far? Don't know. Your point makes basic sense to me anyway though.
C H A R A C T E R