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From: rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo)
Newsgroups: net.motss,net.religion,net.flame
Subject: Re: Serpent in Paradise
Message-ID: <915@bbncca.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 22-Aug-84 10:40:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: bbncca.915
Posted: Wed Aug 22 10:40:28 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 23-Aug-84 03:46:04 EDT
References: <1030@ihuxi.UUCP>
Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma.
Lines: 21

Re Mike Musing's followup:

Gay men have "no control over their minority affiliation", unless you
believe sexuality is a matter of preference rather than fundamental
orientation of personality.  Of course, not having sex or receiving
blood transfusions will "prevent" AIDS.

But Haitians can take the same measures: abstain from all sex and
blood transfusions.  They're no more captive to their "minority
affiliation" in this regard than are gay men.

The basically prejudicial nature of trying to distinguish between
more and less "legitimate" minorities is nicely illustrated here.
In this case, the issue of visibility (i.e., racial minorities can't
disguise themselves as gays can), the one irreducible distinction
between gays and racial or gender minorities, isn't even present,
yet Mike still tries to trade on the idea that gays are less of an
"authentic" minority than, say, Haitians.

					Cheers,
					Ron Rizzo