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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Re: What He Said

posted by on June 11 at 9:35 AM

Also what I said, three years ago:

We gay people can lobby politicians and dialogue with homophobes all we want, and we should, but perhaps the most important thing gay Americans can do right now is hold our ground and wait for the considerable number of anti-gay older Americans to die off. When they do, public opinion on gay rights issues is likely to flip.

And, to be fair, it’s something a lot of people have been saying for a long time.

This is indeed, as Morford concludes, one of the strangest aspects of this homo moment—the realization, for anyone who’s paying attention, that the gay rights movement will get a big boost when a certain demographic leaves this earth.

RSS icon Comments

1

This + releasing poisonous gas during pride parades = we're good to go.

Posted by Mr. Poe | June 11, 2008 9:42 AM
2

ah, tolerance

Posted by nice to see | June 11, 2008 9:43 AM
3

In general this is true, but it's not as simple as that. People tend to get more conservative as they get older, and thus many young people who are pro-gay now will be anti-gay when they are old. The tide is still turning, though.

Posted by Fnarf | June 11, 2008 9:43 AM
4

This has probably been true of many civil struggles, from 1860s slavery to 1960s civil rights and maybe even as far back as 1760s American independence or even 1620s religious freedom. And that's just the history of the US.

Posted by K | June 11, 2008 9:44 AM
5

Yes, people get more cranky conservative as they age, but the culture will have shifted on this issue by then, and a new younger generation will be in charge and they likely won't want to listen to the complaints of curmudgeons

Posted by jackseattle | June 11, 2008 9:58 AM
6

@3 - I would think that the move to the political right as people get older is mostly due to growing distaste for paying taxes as they accumulate wealth. I'd be surprised if people actually became more socially conservative as they got older.

That isn't to say that fiscal conservatism doesn't trump social conservatism on the list of priorities, so older people will throw their lot in with the Republicans, even if they don't agree with the "moral values" crap.

Posted by Mahtli69 | June 11, 2008 9:58 AM
7

@3: I don't think entirely that it is as simple as people adopting conservative values as they age. Maybe that is partially true (a la the movie The Edukators). But another side of the coin is that quite often, what was once considered radical and progressive over time becomes conventional and even conservative.

Posted by K | June 11, 2008 10:00 AM
8

@3 yes, but the definition of conservative will change over time as well. I suspect that just as it's now common to be conservative but not object to interracial marriage, conservatives 40 years in the future will not find gay marriage any more objectionable. Today's you may grow more conservative, but it will be a different value set for today's conservative.

Posted by DJSauvage | June 11, 2008 10:02 AM
9

I am the very model of a modern homosexual, I'm stylish, good at cooking, a good-looking intellectual! At passing legislation, though, I'm largely ineffectual, I am the very model of a modern homosexual!

Seriously though, 70% of young people in WI voted against the gay marriage ban. Even if a good chunk of those turn anti-gay or ultra conservative come their golden years, there's still a hefty percent that wouldn't.

Posted by Marty | June 11, 2008 10:08 AM
10

Ok people. This is mainly aimed toward #3, but: http://www.livescience.com/health/080310-liberal-seniors.html

People tend to get more LIBERAL as they get older. Perhaps that stereotype arose because of a very vocal and very persistent subset of older generations in decades past. But there you go, older doesn't mean more conservative.

Posted by MattD | June 11, 2008 10:12 AM
11

It's elating to be 25 and know I will get to witness this happen in time

Posted by Non | June 11, 2008 10:13 AM
12

Plus! The spammer business model is going to collapse when a certain demographic finally, finally kicks.

Posted by elenchos | June 11, 2008 10:20 AM
13

@10

That's a load of diarrhea and anyone with an IQ above 40 knows it.

Posted by Mr. Poe | June 11, 2008 10:21 AM
14

Fnarf @3 There was actually a study published a few months ago at least partly debunking the myth that people become more conservative with age. The opposite seems to be true. A possible explanation for why this myth exists is older generations begin from a more conservative standpoint and so people falsely correlate aging with creeping conservatism. In fact, many people in the older generations have liberalized much more than people in younger generations.

Posted by Gabriel | June 11, 2008 10:24 AM
15

Ah, Mattd @10 beat me to it. But I don't think his explanation of the creeping conservatism myth is correct.

Posted by Gabriel | June 11, 2008 10:28 AM
16

God knows I'm likely to flip. One-note dudes are a drag...

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | June 11, 2008 10:48 AM
17

Logan Five, please report to Carousel...

Posted by michael strangeways | June 11, 2008 10:54 AM
18

So does this mean The Stranger is endorsing the Death with Dignity initiative?

Posted by Will in Seattle | June 11, 2008 11:00 AM
19

@17 -- Haha.

"Mr. Poe, renew! Renew!"

Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball | June 11, 2008 11:01 AM
20

Damn it, when is that rapture happening, anyway?

Posted by monkey | June 11, 2008 11:37 AM
21

It'll be interesting to see what this generation's "conservative" views are in 50 years when we are old and out of touch with modern thinking.

Some thoughts ...
1. Nuclear energy is dangerous
2. We have a right to privacy
3. Human cloning is unethical
4. Choosing your baby's traits off of a menu before conception is unethical
5. An all-robot military is unethical
6. Chris Rock is an "edgy" comedian (kinda like Bob Hope)

Posted by Mahtli69 | June 11, 2008 1:12 PM
22

The biggest boost will be after the rapture!

Posted by Steagle | June 11, 2008 1:13 PM
23

Great. I can get married as soon as my parents are dead!

Posted by Alan | June 11, 2008 3:36 PM
24

Great. I can get married as soon as my parents are dead!

Posted by Alan | June 11, 2008 3:37 PM

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