Men's Group

I am too lazy to rewrite it. LOL!

It is a shame, however, how I have come to feel about being around children in some respects. Don't get me wrong, I love my nephews and nieces, and if I had children, I would love them unconditionally too. Many gay men feel the way I do, and even though we are seeing more and more have/adopt children, I have spoken to more than a few who are terrified of perceptions. What really threw me for a loop? I had a discussion with a few lesbian friends who also felt this way (afraid of children)! I'd honestly never thought it was an issue among lesbians (and I am guessing bisexual women). Personally, it showed me how destructive homophobia really was, that so many of us seem to carry this in the backs of our minds.

There are a number of societal homophobia issues which seem to affect some more than others, but the fear of being accused of being a pedophile seems to be almost universal, especially among gay and bisexual men. Of course, the great irony is we are the ones least likely to be actual child molesters, but it sure as hell hasn't stopped that myth.

I have all kinds of personal sob stories when it comes to homophobia. Some have been really painful and still hurt me; others were upsetting at the time, and some just rolled off my back. I have actually thought about writing an OP on how homophobia and heterosexism have affected my life and the lives of those I love. You'll laugh, you'll cry, it'll become a pert of you!