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NYT study - % of men who are gay/closeted

chromium

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/o...can-men-are-gay.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

Should put to rest the notion that 2% are gay and "everyone comes out these days."

5% of men consistently search for gay porn, in every region of country
2% are openly gay on facebook and 3.6% on surveys
1% are open in conservative areas and these areas have the most concern by wives that their husbands are gay AND the most ads for casual hookups

"For every openly gay high school student in MS, there are 3 google searches for "Is my husband gay?"' (5:2 ratio in more tolerant rhode island)


conclusions:

60% of gay men are closeted at least on facebook, 85% in the south
80% of high school students are closeted - so much for the more tolerant generation
homophobia does in fact lead to sham marriages and promiscuity
1 in 4 have been lying on anonymous surveys or deep in denial


"There is, in other words, a huge amount of secret suffering in the United States that can be directly attributed to intolerance of homosexuality."


flaws in the study? I was wondering if facebook is best or if there's a better method, but it seems clear that porn doesn't lie
 
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I'm not openly heterosexual on Facebook either.
 
Ben K. said:
I'm not openly heterosexual on Facebook either.
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It says "% of men who list a gender preference." If you don't list any, you wouldn't be factored into this. For some reason, gay men are about half as likely to put a preference.

To me the regional and age differences in this and the porn vs survey results are more revealing.
 
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But who is more comfortable in their own skin - the men who list a gender preference or those who don't?
 
Ben K. said:
But who is more comfortable in their own skin - the men who list a gender preference or those who don't?
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So you're saying the gay men are more comfortable with their sexuality and that's why they don't list it? I'm pretty sure it's because they have something to hide, from someone. Could be an employer, or everyone in their life. It's hard to say.
 
CLAX1911 said:
I am not on facebook at all. If I was not sure I would be out.
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because you wouldn't want certain people to know, or some other reason?
 
chromium said:
because you wouldn't want certain people to know, or some other reason?
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I am not concerned with people knowing. I am proud of who I am. It just isn't that big of a deal to me any more. If somebody asked I would tell them. I chose not to be on facebook because everything that happens there it's for the world to see. I am a bit of a reclusive protective person and prefer my anonymity. I always ask friends not to post my name on pictures of me.

Plus I work in law enforcement. I have made enemies and I will see them again. If I had a facebook there would be no pictures of me, no names. I have investigated people and found out sdo very much about them through social media. To me that is quite frightening.
 

Im not surprised by this at all

with the amount of homophobia, bigotry, discrimination, persecution and oppression its simply basic logic that many are still in the closet.

This also matches up to my personal experiences.

Since my best friend is gay there have been numerous times where i have been in a social situation where people are out and they feel safe but when i see them in other social situations they are not, its still a secret in most of thier life.

Its so sad and pathetic that in 2014 this is still going on but at lest its getting better
 
Do homophobes count as closeted?
 
chromium said:
If they consistently search for gay porn, i guess it would in this study.
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I would guess they do, as they cannot stop talking about it.
 

I think it reflects the fear that there's some nut, like the psycho who tried to set the gay club in seattle on fire. High school students may get majority support but fear a handful of bullies making their life hell. So they tell friends but won't be out on facebook.

On a liberal campus where 85% support SSM, there's still a sad number of "discrete" cases that sneak out to cars in empty parking lots and i rarely seen any gay couple even holding hands outside. I mean what's it gonna take for them to do that, 100% support?

So i think in many places society is to blame still, but in others, people are needlessly restricting themselves.
 
I don't know if this is exactly true.

Though my love for my spouse is not a secret. I find it exhausting at times when busybodies walk up at random and explain how my showing mills affection for my loved ones is inappropriate. Just recently I was at the mall having lunch with Evan. I hugged him upon meeting him. And this nosy mother walked up to me and him and told me how it was inappropriate to expose her kids to that. Luckily I was not in uniform and could speak my mind. I told her she was the person doing the exposing of her children to my behavior. And that she should kindly take her objection to my existence and keep it to herself. I don't walk over to parents and tell them their little monsters are behaving inappropriately and her little brats were definitely behaving inappropriately. And that if we are finished lecturing each other on what we don't like about being in public that she kindly allow Evan and I to continue our lunch without further interruption.

Though I typically handle that kind of thing by not even acknowledging that the person complaining exists this particular time I was surrounded by her brat children. Though this type of thing is only a mild irritation I grow tired of it. It's best to avoid provoking such behavior. Nosey people will always seem to interfere with things that do not concern them. It is simply something we have to tolerate. That being said they will have to tolerate me. Being a martyr gets exhausting.
 
What about lesbians?
 

Yeah, what a stupid bee-yotch. I probably would've escalated with "Bigots shouldn't even be allowed to have kids" or start making out hardcore then and there. Like 2 guys hugging is somehow inherently gay anyway wtf? But i do think what people fear is more the nut who will throw a beer bottle from nowhere. What gets me is that same mother will have no objections to the hetero couple making out for 3 hours at a hockey game but if 2 lesbians kiss once after a goal she will run to security. Those types need to be put in their place.
 
In my younger days I would have likely done something of that nature. But I think what I said to her was effective. She just walked away with a gaping look on her face.
 
CLAX1911 said:
In my younger days I would have likely done something of that nature. But I think what I said to her was effective. She just walked away with a gaping look on her face.
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No doubt she expected a homo to bow down before her begging forgiveness. She will call in to sean hannity's show next.
 
Gathomas88 said:
Sooo... It might be 5% instead of 2%?

Why is that so shocking? :shrug:
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I don't think it is at all, but the main point is when used with the other data, it can show how many are closeted and that many will hide it even on anonymous surveys. Also that high school remains hell for too many. It's basically a window into how far we have to go.
 

Is there a place on FB where they ask you to list a gender preference? Huh.
 

When they passed the SSM law here in the state legislature, it was challenged by some (specifically created to oppose SSM I believe) 'pro-family organizations' and they got enough signatures to take it to the voters...where it LOST.

But before the vote, I was twice asked in front of the supermarket to sign their petitions. And there, loudly and in front of their kids and other patrons, I asked them why they were teaching their kids to hate and that God was the only judge and loved everyone. I asked them, loudly, why people of the same gender couldnt love who they wanted...was love wrong? Both times they grabbed their kids and petitions and headed for their cars.
 
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