Re: Gay Extropians!!! (What have I started!??!)

From: Jason Joel Thompson (jasonjthompson@home.com)
Date: Mon Oct 09 2000 - 22:08:28 MDT


Hi everyone. Pleased to be back.

Having the opportunity to briefly puruse a vast cross-section of messages
(the accumulation in my absence) has given me some macro perspective on list
activities. Very interesting actually.

I'm pleased to find that the "will AI be unfriendly?" thread seemed to have
genuinely knocked itself out of its negative attractor state momentarily
(no, I'm not wrong, you're wrong, etc, repeat.)

Although Eugene's comments were sensational (probably intentionally,) I do
think that he has helped to define an important tension (embrace vs.
reliquish)-- I think it is uncontested: we truly must excercise cautious
optimism.

A comment: it isn't necessary or desirable for all of us to be cautious
adopters-- it is acceptable for us as a group to have some who are cautious
and some who are early adopters-- so long as we allow that we share a common
vision-- and so long as we allow that we are to a degree united by this
vision-- and so long as we temper our behavior in this context (we are
greater than the sum of our parts, etc.)

---

It's interesting as well to have had the opportunity to experience the dialogue thread of individual posters over a longer period of time. I took this opportunity to apply the Turing test to list members: curiously, several failed. (Sorry Molloy, I'm on to you. :)

---

I really like that we've started a bisexual thread-- and I'm pleased to find that a number of list members are forthcoming about their respective sexualities-- let's face it folks, these are the days of miracles and wonders.

I, for instance, am a straight male, however I have long held that we are -all- bisexual to a degree. I disagree with the J.R. bot that this distribution is unequally weighted amongst the sexes-- I suspect this perception is as a result of the fact that:

a) Women are less threatened/insecure regarding their sexuality.

(probably as a result of:)

b.) It is (still) (very generally) less societally acceptable to be a bi-sexual male, than a bi-sexual female. (In fact, as indicated, bi-sexual females are often the stuff of male-fantasy.)

This is a topic of some interest to me and I have a fair bit of direct experience regarding issues of sexuality.

I have been in close association with gay communities for many years. I have been an actor in the -theatre- for several years, I currently live in Vancouver (San Fran North) and I have consistently been 'mistaken' as gay... (I am an artist, I'm emotional, sensitve, I have good fashion sense (often flamboyant) and I make lots of physical contact with individuals of both genders)

Indeed, I am often flattered by this assumption, and I am flattered by the male attention I have accrued-- it is not an assumption that I have actively sought to debunk.

I am truly in favor of an individual's ability to love *people*. I can't deny that there is an important sexual/chemical aspect missing as far as my appreciation of males goes-- but I am, nonetheless, extremely pleased by the close relationships I have with them.

I think it would be nice, actually, if we were all more fully (and acceptably) bi-sexual-- I remember with some clarity being propositioned by a male acquaintance of mine for whom I had the utmost respect and admiration-- I can "intellectually," in retrospect, recognize it as being a pity that I could not generate 'deeper' feelings for him.

Sorry, no butterflies. (And, damn, it ain't worth shit if there ain't no butterflies!)

I also disagree that women are more attracted to bi-sexual men *in general,* (As indicated, the reverse is more probably true,) although, to be honest, my -personal- experience seems to suggest that women do find sexual (and bi-sexual) -comfort- to be attractive (particularly once you get to know them.)

--

::jason.joel.thompson:: ::founder::

www.wildghost.com



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