Do you like being different?
I had an interesting discussion with one of the cool chicks at work the other day. Her husband had debated with her about gay pride marches, saying "If they want to be accepted as equals, why do they go around in bum-less leather chaps?" Or words to that effect. In his defence, he's no homophobe - just a respectable geek who ponders on questions of every nature. Naturally I more than respect that, as the same trait often keeps me awake at night 
The topic got me thinking .. As much as we want to be seen "the same as" and "just as entitled as", etc, we like being different too, right? Is it that bad, being part of a minority? I'd suggest that (these days and in most places) perhaps it's even a good thing. There appears to be the "cool factor" - sure, there are all sorts of complications for me or my partner should one of us die, but at least we're trending away from the norm. No one wants to be too normal (right??).
What do you think? Like it or not, we're in a minority group. Do you prefer it that way? Or would you really rather just be the same?
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Are we different?
Wow! I didn't know I was different!!!! jojojo
We ALL people are different in many ways, some like Beers some don't (like me!). Being gay is just one more value of the database tuple that describes me.
Personally I don't like to go out and shout " Yay!! I'm a IT Pro! Yay I Like Family Guy ! Yay I'm gay!" for example I hate paroles and I'm not going to tomorrow's here in Mexico.
Regards!
I think a lot of it is
I think a lot of it is overcoming shame and opposing the thinking that leads to our oppression rather than simply trying to fit in like your friend seems to think. Who wouldn't want to march down the street in full drag lip syncing Broadway musicals if for your entire life were told that it was bad and you were bad because of it.
Ultimately, I don't think its as much about us being different as it is about us being our naturally weird, complicated, diverse selves. Perhaps the difference between us and straight people is we don't try to hide it.
Acceptance is a balance
Acceptance is a balance between two rights: the right to be different and the right to be equal. I think that the quintessential example is judaism*. Minorities want and ideally should have the right to be recognized as different. But at the same time, they want to be recognized as having the same status as the general population.
If the only way of acquiring equal rights is comforming, we don`t have "equal rights", we just have "the right to become equal".
* I remember once reading these stupid person saying about anti-semitism in American schools: "those children wouldn`t be facing persecution if only they accepted Jesus as their savior.