Gay Sailors

[Guest]

We have some regulars who are gay, they don’t mention it on the forum, but they often PM me. I was telling one of them about a gay sailing club in SF, and he said that would be cool, but he’s uncertain about making it public here not knowing what the reaction would be. So how about a poll?

[Megwyn 2]

Doesn't really bother me which way someone wants to roll.

 

There most likely would be a discussion on board as to whether the peeps on the yacht knew what the rainbow flag meant. Then, most likely, my son would row on over and ask them.

 

It would make no difference to me when deciding whether to share beverages/food with someone or not. Can't speak for Himself of course.

[Guest]

Do they get pissed off with gay jokes?

It would be pretty sad if they were slammed for their lifestyle but the community being what it is they would have to have a sense of humour and slightly thicker than normal skin.

I can't envisage any problems.

[ab1974 1]

Think the Poll so far represents a pretty fair reflection. I couldn't care one way or the other to be honest. Though probably still in the don't rub my face in it and make me uncomfortable (but to be fair a couple of hetro teenagers going for it in front on me isn't all that great either!)

 

I've a few mates that bat for the other team and one who bats for both and describes himself as greedy (ie twice the chance in the pub compared to me) and it makes no difference to how I would treat them sailing or otherwise.

 

Have to wonder why the feeling is so strong as to join a gay sailing club. Is it about the sailing, meeting others for gay hookups (like some clubs) or simply feeling comfortable about being open without fear of being judged??

 

Guess also interesting to understand why you want to 'come out' on a sailing site?? Apart from the stereotypical blokey comments (of which I am guilty) there is a fairly limited amount of serious sexual chat on the site.......

[RushMan 31]

Slighty off topic....

 

Many years ago, she who must be obeyed played in a hockey team with a girl named Mandy.

 

Mandy was a little confused with her sexuality, common perception was she was gay.

 

Fast forward 20+ years and I was helping a guy select some new hockey gear (I have some shops back in OZ that specialize in hockey equipment) when he mentioned that he had played hockey many years ago with the bride.

 

Mandy had become Andy!

 

Andy was playing with a team that were heading to Sydney for the gay games. He seemed happy enough although he still wasn't able to tell his gay team mates that he was a transexual as well.

 

Hopefully he is at peace with the world because she/he has been through a lot.

 

Gay sailors - not a problem for me, their choice, just don't try to force it on me, a bit like religion in some ways.

[Guest]

WTF??? Thier choice and don't judge them

[Guest]

Don't give a toss what people do in their bedrooms, as long as they are having fun.

[wheels 543]

A gay rainbow Flag. Glad I now know there is one, as I would have thought it was Greenpeace and left the bay.

[Guest]

By email:

 

Re the why mention it on the sailing site, it is to see if there are enough on the site who could make up a sailing team for racing and to guage how safe it would be to ask such a tricky question.. who's in for a boat race where you can be yourself without having to act straight, unless of course you are already.?.

 

Put it another way, imagine how hard it would be if the world was the other way around, and you had to hide being straight in a gay world, worried you might get beaten up at school, imagine wanting to ask that cute girl to dance, and knowing you would be laughed at by the rest of the school ?.

 

How would you meet anyone to marry if every one had to act gay and cover up their straightness ?

 

So having a sailing club that is gay or at least gay friendly, people can relax more, be themselves. Maybe even have a better chance of meeting a person like them?.

 

Sailing clubs are all about sailing it there reason for being, but the social side is a big thing too. Being able to meet your future partner wife or husband is a big thing too.

[Guest]

and another

 

to answer..

 

simply feeling comfortable about being open without fear of being judged is about the most important thing... having to act straight to keep a job at work is hard and it would be great to relax at the weekend and not worry if anyone knew.

 

but if I was single it would be easier to meet someone nice and also gay at a gay sailing club than at say a sailing club where you have to guess if that great guy who asked me if I would be keen on a weekend sail was impressed with my sailing skills or he simply thought I was hot. If it was a gay sailing club I would naturally think it was both my good looks and sailing skills,

[Guest]

Come out at your club I say. Might not be easy, I understand that, but things are much better for you and for others thinking about it once there are openly gay people in the club, in my opinion.

[Grinna 2]

I can kinda understand the idea behind a gay crew or a gay yacht club because people always feel more comfortable when they're in a group that they know will accept them. It's the uncertainty over acceptance that's a bit of a killer I guess and the feeling of having to hide who you are because it might not go down too well that causes stress.

 

What I don't understand is anyone feeling the need to hide that they're gay in a sailing community. Now ... that's probably because I'm a bit naive and I've got nothing at stake. If I meet somebody in a social situation, their sexual orientation is probably not a topic that leaps to the forefront of the conversation. I really don't care if someone is gay, straight, buysexual (that's when you pay for it), whatever. It doesn't worry me in the slightest. In my naivete I expect that nobody else is that concerned about it either. Who cares? It's about as relevant as the colour of your socks (assuming you're wearing any).

 

I've met some great people and I've met some complete assholes in my life. Some of those people in each of those categories were straight and some were gay. So what? The much more important factor was whether they were an asshole or not.

 

So I guess I'm with Bardy here .... why not be open? To me its a non-issue, but then its not something that I've ever had to worry about so I guess I'm being a bit simplistic.

[Guest]

Sadly KB and Grinna there are many in our society that think being Gay is a crime, sin against God and twisted stuff like that. Those people are a reducing minority now I think but often they are vocal and damn nasty in their expressing of that view. When they do that they can make it very uncomfortable for the people involved and those around them hence the reluctant by many to come out, so to speak. A case if it's just easier to shut up than have to put up with the bigoted crap I'd be thinking. A bit like me having to bite my tongue in many places rather than openly come out and say all fizz nasties should be burnt to the waterline.

[Grinna 2]

Sadly KB and Grinna there are many in our society that think being Gay is a crime, sin against God and twisted stuff like that.

 

Yeah, sadly you're probably right.

 

 

A bit like me having to bite my tongue in many places rather than openly come out and say all fizz nasties should be burnt to the waterline.

 

This is a big call from someone who has (barely) suppressed tendencies that lie in the direction of fizz nasties.

[Guest]

Can we add the following option to the poll too Squid?

 

"Go and raft up with 'em?"

[banaari 27]

Hehe: I voted for the "great wine" option. I don't care whether you're gay, straight, both, neither or happen to be a dairy farmer. (Actually, I *do* care a little bit... difficult to interact with a group that seems to communicate only in monosyllabic grunts mainly about the weather... what the hell, I suppose it's a valid lifestyle choice too )

[banaari 27]

(...) rather than openly come out and say all fizz nasties should be burnt to the waterline.

Let me "come out" right now: I fantasise nightly about sinking jetskis...

[Grinna 2]

(...) rather than openly come out and say all fizz nasties should be burnt to the waterline.

Let me "come out" right now: I fantasise nightly about sinking jetskis...

 

Oh now THAT's a lifestyle choice I could get onboard with!!

[Guest]

There are a lot of different people in this world. Some of us may be repressed closet Fizznasties, afraid to come out for fear of oppression and ridicule. Shame on you Grinna for your lack of tolerance and Fizzophobic tenancies are you sure you are not a closet Fizzophile?

[Grinna 2]

There are a lot of different people in this world. Some of us may be repressed closet Fizznasties, afraid to come out for fear of oppression and ridicule. Shame on you Grinna for your lack of tolerance and Fizzophobic tenancies are you sure you are not a closet Fizzophile?

 

Fizzies??? Yeah, I'll admit I've 'experimented' with fizz nasties in the past and mostly in my youth ... some of them not really fizzy in nature but generally falling under that category anyway. Given an embarassingly large and sudden increase in fun tickets (say, winning Lotto) I might rush out and purchase a fizz nasty even ... not that I'd ever openly admit it around blow boaties. I even harbour secret desires to play with multihulls on occasion ... but once again, its nothing I'd talk openly about in some circles for fear of ridicule and derision.

 

Seriously though, it really is quite sad that people feel that they need to be guarded and to worry about what they say and do for fear of the negative and possibly violent reaction from others all because of an unenlightened or prejudiced attitude held by a minority.