Posts by Brandon Rivera2

placidwolf27 said:I suspect this whole debate over burgers might actually hold the answer we're looking for...

If eating a burger is an absolute affront to your sensibilities, yet someone else can enjoy one without a second thought, there has to be a fundamental reason for that discrepancy.

Either everyone else is some sort of culinary barbarian—which seems unlikely—or there is something specific about you that makes the sight of a burger so unsettling.
And look, that’s perfectly fine; nobody is going to call the police on your preferences. But you really ought to sit down and reflect on why it bothers you so deeply to see another person simply enjoying their meal.

Furthermore, is it truly necessary to lash out at such a person?
To harass them...
Or to subject them to any kind of verbal or physical hostility?

Is it all happening just because it irritates you?

Give it some actual thought...

Some things only look bad when you take them out of context. Eating a burger at a restaurant where it's meant to be eaten isn't bothering anyone...

Lisa Hernandez3 said:But do you actually know why you feel that way?
I mean, what specifically about the answers didn't sit right with you?

I guess "homophobia" is just such a massive umbrella term at this point... it covers everything from violent skinheads looking for a fight to religious zealots, all the way down to those polite, suburban haters just sitting on their couches watching the news...

Ryan Wood98 said:Honestly, I guess it shouldn't matter to me if someone decides to shove sliders up their OWN nose.🙄

But doing that is gonna make everyone watching pretty disgusted, right?

Lisa Hernandez3 said:If you're so certain, how can you claim you don't have the answer either?

I mean, I don't strictly "know," it's more just what I'm thinking...

placidwolf27 said:Look, I don’t know... it’s never really been a big deal to me—life is already exhausting enough without getting worked up because someone decided to grab a bite in a public square. People eat right next to me all the time, and frankly, I fail to see the issue here...

I think it’s worth questioning why you’re so fixated on this whole "eating burgers" thing—it’s pretty obvious that the mere sight of someone eating in public hits a nerve with you personally, and one has to wonder why exactly that is...

As for me, it doesn't bother me in the slightest—as long as the person isn't making a complete mess of things, like shoving food up their nose or doing something equally absurd...

So, who exactly are we talking about here?

And honestly, who would actually care if someone shoved a burger up their nose?

Lisa Hernandez3 said:But what do you think about all this?

Honestly, I don't think anyone has actually given a solid answer yet...

Ryan Wood98 said:I hug and kiss my girlfriend in public, and honestly, the idea that I should feel the need to hide that seems entirely irrational to me.

Being intimate basically means nobody else is involved, so those aren't really private acts to begin with...

Lisa Hernandez3 said:Well, you were definitely participating in it yourself—quite enthusiastically, too.
I suppose if you could just answer the questions from the original post, then maybe we can get back to (your own) topic. So, what exactly is homophobia, Brandon Rivera2?

Just so I actually know, honestly, otherwise there'd be no point even starting this thread...

placidwolf27 said:But honestly, does a designated public space even exist where two people can just share a hug or a kiss without being scrutinized?...

I mean, those are supposed to be private things... intimacy is basically the opposite of being out in public...

placidwolf27 said:But honestly, does a designated public space even exist where two people can just share a hug or a kiss without being scrutinized?...

Like, is smashing some greasy burgers and onions in the middle of Times Square really the vibe everyone's looking for?

Lisa Hernandez3 said:Let's look at this differently. This was your original opening post:

You titled this whole thread "What is 'homophobia'"?

So, I suppose I have to ask—how does a discussion about public decency relate to your actual topic?

I mean, I can't really tell where the thread is heading or how to steer it, especially since someone else started the whole thing about public spaces...

placidwolf27 said:well, a diner is definitely a public space...

We're talking about eating burgers and onions out in the open, like on a downtown plaza or something similar, rather than inside an actual restaurant...

Lisa Hernandez3 said:Yeah, we're all participating voluntarily, I suppose. And we have provided answers to your questions.

Could you perhaps explain how your take on public spaces and "appropriate behavior" relates at all to "what is homophobia," which—if I may call you a massive troll—is what you actually set as the topic in your opening post and thread title?

Why am I being called a troll? Because we're talking about how gay people act in public. My point is just that public places have certain standards, and not everything is appropriate out there in the open...

Lisa Hernandez3 said:What are we even talking about now? Are you seriously comparing people eating kebabs in public to LGBTQ+ individuals being visible in public? If that's the case, maybe you should move this over to the Foodie forum instead of lingering here in Psychology.

Look, the whole point is that being in public means following certain social norms, whether we're talking about messy food or sexual orientation...

Lisa Hernandez3 said:In that case, I'm not quite sure why you're even bothering to ask what homophobia is or whether you personally fit the description. You can think whatever you like—there's really no need to waste everyone's time here on the forum. Especially when it seems like the whole topic is just being used as a way to stir the pot and push views that don't actually relate to the question you originally asked in your first post.

Everyone else seems happy to chime in, though. But after scrolling through a few pages now, it looks like nobody has actually given a straight answer on what specific traits make someone homophobic...

Everyone acts like they’re all about being tolerant and stuff, but honestly, if they saw someone eating a massive, messy burger with extra onions right next to them in a crowded place, they’d change their tune pretty fast...

Lisa Hernandez3 said:I guess I'm wondering what your actual motivation is for bringing this up—is it just curiosity about whether one can be considered homophobic if they oppose certain legal rights while personally having nothing against individuals? Is that the core of it? I suppose you might think it's possible to hold negative political stances regarding the LGBTQ+ community without actually being homophobic toward people personally... if that makes sense. Do you truly believe political positions can be entirely decoupled from homophobia? And by that, I don't mean some irrational psychological phobia, but rather more of a social bias or, perhaps, just a collection of ingrained prejudices.

Why wouldn't I? It's not like I hang out with any gay guys. Honestly, whether it's "natural" or "innate" doesn't really matter to me. If there was a national referendum on their rights, I'd vote no. Other than that, they don't bother me at all...

Ryan Wood98 said:But why? They might be bothering you. 🤷 Personally, if something bothers my sense of aesthetics (for instance, a soap brand like "Sun Valley"), I simply choose not to look at it.

But honestly, they just ruin my view. I can't even focus on the horizon when they're there...

placidwolf27 said:Where on earth do you live, man? What kind of "infraction" are we even talking about here?

Is hugging and kissing considered a crime now?

Or is it perfectly fine if I do it with my girlfriend, but if two guys or two girls do it, suddenly they've committed a "social infraction"—just like eating in public, right?... It’s getting ridiculous...

I mean, nobody really wants to see someone out in the middle of a plaza stuffing their face with greasy burgers and onions or dropping pizza crusts everywhere...

Anthony Garcia10 said:I find it difficult to see how those two concepts can be separated. One cannot claim to have no issue with certain people while simultaneously attempting to strip away their fundamental rights. It is a logical contradiction; it would be akin to someone claiming they aren't racist while arguing that Black Americans should be denied the right to vote. You simply cannot decouple the treatment from the person.

Look, I'm really not in any position to be calling the shots on what happens with the LGBTQ+ community...