FYI, Not that there's anything wrong with that

[JerseyJoey]

Your very comment segments them into a group...

And yes - if your straight - you can go... I have gay friends.. They invite me and my girl to go places... I've piggybacked on "Black" ski groups trips before... I went on a trip to :Las Lenas with a Hispanic ski club from Miami... Never once got turned down... Had a great time!

your taking this way too seriously and going to deep into the weeds...
It's like minded people having fun... i don't know where the "bad" is here...
And YES - they are a "fringe" group that not everyone's comfortable with... So thats maybe why this thing appeals to them... Saftey and comfort in numbers...

I just don't get why people have to be like this...

I find this hard to believe. Not all of it, just the part about people from Miami going skiing. The rest I agree with 100%.

 

[dmc]

I find this hard to believe. Not all of it, just the part about people from Miami going skiing. The rest I agree with 100%.

HAHA... No doubt...

 

[drjeff]

I was at Ascutney once when they hosted a Dental conference on the top floor meeting room. I went upstairs to look around after they left. There were very large color posters of dental disease all over the place. Made it very difficult to have lunch afterwards. Now That's special interest!

I LOVE those posters

 

[drjeff]

HAHA... No doubt...

Hey, those Miami folks get practice doing Jaeger shots down the ice "bobsled" runs at the bars!

 

[drjeff]

But by the very nature of their "non standard" sexuality it segments them into a group...

It's more then the fact that they are attracted to people of the same gender...
It's a culture... Weather you recognize it or not... There's gay bars... Gay Political groups(Log Cabin Reps. for instance), gay travel clubs... TV shows... Radio stations...

They's gay and and here to stay... Get used to it and let them spend $$ as a group..

+1

And even if someone might have an objection to their lifestyle(personally I don't - and have many gay + lesbian friends who my wife and I have a GREAT time hanging out with), when we're all out on the hill wearing our winter gear and enjoying sliding down the hill on 1 or 2 planks, does it really matter???

 

[Dr Skimeister]

Is this any different than a "singles" outing that is so commonplace at any ski destination?

 

[Moe Ghoul]

People will always gravitate towards commonalities whether it is color, faith, politics, biz interests, hobbies, and on and on. Welcome to humanity.

 

[dmc]

+1

And even if someone might have an objection to their lifestyle(personally I don't - and have many gay + lesbian friends who my wife and I have a GREAT time hanging out with), when we're all out on the hill wearing our winter gear and enjoying sliding down the hill on 1 or 2 planks, does it really matter???

i was pulled over to the side of the trail once at Hunter and 2 gay guys were in a bad fight... we just stood there and stared as they called each other names and blamed each other for usual couples stuff... "You dragged me all the way here to ski and now you won't stay with me.... blah blah blah.."

Yeah... Being gay may be different on a lot of levels from what i know... But couples fight... gay or straight...

 

[chase]

I don't know any gays or lesbians all that well so i"m ignorant in this subject, but do you guys think that in your face events like a gay ski week or a gay pride parade have an effect on mainstream America's perception of homosexuals?

 

[Dr Skimeister]

I don't know any gays or lesbians all that well so i"m ignorant in this subject, but do you guys think that in your face events like a gay ski week or a gay pride parade have an effect on mainstream America's perception of homosexuals?

Could you define this for me?

In my reading of the ad that inspired this thread, I didn't sense anything that would serve to differentiate the group from any other group that will be at a ski resort.

I guess the homophobia that has existed in our society for so long continues. Would we even be having this discussion if it were a group of choir singers or bicycle riders or left-handed people that were planning a group outing??

 

[chase]

Could you define this for me?

events that are highly visible to people that aren't a part of them. I don't know if all gay ski weeks are like this but I read an article in skiing that said the one in whistler is pretty out in the open.

 

[Moe Ghoul]

I don't know any gays or lesbians all that well so i"m ignorant in this subject, but do you guys think that in your face events like a gay ski week or a gay pride parade have an effect on mainstream America's perception of homosexuals?

There's a whole lotta crap going on that offends the sensibilities, but let's not get political. I'm pretty sure the gay ski week was marketed to gays, they won't be putting up banners announcing gay ski week at the resort. Every group has its wingnuts, including religion, it's unreasonable to lump em all together because of a handful of flamers.

 

[Dr Skimeister]

events that are highly visible to people that aren't a part of them. I don't know if all gay ski weeks are like this but I read an article in skiing that said the one in whistler is pretty out in the open.

Me and my wife walking in a ski town holding hands, out in the open, is OK. Two guys or women doing the same isn't?

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Cool...gay people generally have more disposable income than straight people..

 

[dmc]

I don't know any gays or lesbians all that well so i"m ignorant in this subject, but do you guys think that in your face events like a gay ski week or a gay pride parade have an effect on mainstream America's perception of homosexuals?

In your face?
Most gay guys i know are pretty conservative... think suit and tie not Carmen Miranda....
At the end of the day - you have to take everyone at face value... Getting to know people is a good thing... My town gets flooded with Orthodox Jews during the summer... I could just avoid them because they are so vastly different in appearance and culture... But I try to talk to them... We embrace them in our town as anybody else.. If they are comfortable they spend more time in town and buying from the merchants..

i guess what I'm saying is - hosting a gay ski weekend can only be a good thing on a lot of levels... But only to people who are tolerant.. I find most ski people are pretty progressive...

 

[dmc]

left-handed people that were planning a group outing??

wow.... now thats over the line... Why don't you just invite Satan himself.... ???

 

[dmc]

Me and my wife walking in a ski town holding hands, out in the open, is OK. Two guys or women doing the same isn't?

Well... Lets be honest.... We encourage women to hold hands whenever they want...

It's that whole - when girls do it - it's hot / when guys do it - its gross

 

[Moe Ghoul]

Well... Lets be honest.... We encourage women to hold hands whenever they want...

It's that whole - when girls do it - it's hot / when guys do it - its gross

Bingo, lol. As a point of interest, maybe some Massachusetts residents can chime in and let us know if the family and institution of marriage have been destroyed since legalizing gay marriage. I can't find anything in the headlines.

 

[billski]

Me and my wife walking in a ski town holding hands, out in the open, is OK. Two guys or women doing the same isn't?

There is in the open, and then there is in the open.
The Gay community got quite a reputation for no-holds-barred, exhibitionist sexual orgies back in the 1970s. That lasted until AIDS set in. It also left a stereotype that I see persisting to the present.

Today's groups (with a few exceptions) are much more subdued and certainly a lot more boring than back then. I've socialized with gays for decades, both individually and in large gay groups. I will tell you first-hand that gays can be just as conservative, straight and introverted as many heterosexual groups. I'd argue that there is as wide a variation in personalities in gay groups as in hetero groups.

You can find plenty of very boring gays too. Have you ever seen a group of old gay men? Just as dull as a group of old straight men. Hey, look at Barney Frank, D-Mass. pretty dull too. Don't expect he'd scare too many folks away!

Holding hands is ok by me, but overt propositioning, public sex and graphic exhibitionism done by a hetero is just as uncomfortable and rude to me as if it were done by a gay. that's the stereotype that remains.

They can spend the whole evening discussing politics, skiing, travel, jobs, economy as anybody and you would never know their sexual orientation. It's not sex and gay topics all the time just as it's not sex all the time with straight groups (well, except for a couple unnamed people here....)

Another interesting group to examine is the evangelical Christians who proselytize in your face. Damn uncomfortable,makes most people want to get away. Same if someone of your gender came up to you and propositioned you? Now, if that same Evangelical sat on the chair lift with you and talked about those damn kids, you'd be perfectly fine. So what's the diff?

I think the stereotypical image of gays is just that and too many people see it as a threat to their own lifestyle. It's really not. We all just have to learn to get along. Well, except for a few ill-mannered terrorists....

 

[chase]

I don't have a problem with gays and I know most people, especially skiers, don't. I was just asking if you feel events like this, where the public sees a large group of gays, have any impact on the way the public as a whole perceives them. I mean they hold gay pride parades. Do you feel that those have any impact on society as a whole?