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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxn!mhuxr!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!hplabs!well!rooter
From: rooter@well.UUCP (Brian Mavrogeorge)
Newsgroups: net.motss
Subject: New kid on the block
Message-ID: <133@well.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 14:31:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: well.133
Posted: Wed Aug 14 14:31:47 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 16:17:08 EDT
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito, CA
Lines: 48
Keywords: New user

Thought I would take a minute to introduce myself.  Have been using
a system in Sausalito CA and was excited to recently learn of newsnet
and the net.motss section.  Too bad the previous poster didnt suggest
some new topics after decrying what was here.  I skipped the AIDS 
articles.  Living in San Francisco we are pretty well taken care of
on the AIDS front in terms of progress in discovering causes and cures.
I was very interested in the articles on Massachusetts and child care
having gone through the adoption process here in San Francisco as an 
openly gay couple.  In case readers didn't know, there have been 
gay and lesbian couples in San Francisco who have adopted children.  And
there is an active support group for those parents.  But that doesn't
mean its easy street.  The foster care section in San Francisco still
drags their feet.  For them it isn't so much a gay or lesbian issue as
much as it is every social worker wants to hold on to the kids hoping
that next week there will be that "ideal" couple that will present
themselves and the child can be placed with them.  As well all know those
"ideal" couples exists only in glossy pages consequently the kids remain
in foster homes while the social workers play out their games.
  An issue that hasn't been broached here so far and which Iam interested
in is the gay/lesbian religious scene.  Iam particularly interested in
those who choose to remain in their particular denomination and work from
within for change as I opted not to do that and am active in an MCC
congregation.  Contrary to what some people see, I see a resurgence in
religious activity and feeling across the whole spectrum of religious
life.  Admittedly I probably have a biased view.  ANd what I find even of
more interest is that altho the mainline denominations have done a good
job of dumping on gays and lesbians, many of us retain our spirituality.
  Another topic I find of interest is the question of monogamy and its
applicability to gay people.  I rememeber a few years back reading in a
newspaper an editorial stating that being gay meant being freed from all
those sexual hangups and stereotypes of our parents - that the idea of
marriage was no longer relevant.  Well I personally have been in a 
monogamous relationship for 20+ years and just like my parents celebrated
that relationship with a religious ceremony so the editorial didn't ring
true to me.  But since then I have read a couple of studies pre-AIDS and
post-AIDS that seem to indicate that the gay relationship is quite
different from the heterosexual one and that the question of sexual
fidelity is also quite different.  Perhaps that is due more to the sexes
involved as I would suspect sexual fidelity for lesbians is close to the
heterosexual model.  I don't know.  Would be interested in comments.
  Having been out for many many years to family, work, etc. 
I have strong feelings about the Rock Hudson affair - revolving around the
opportunities he had to break the gay stereotype for middle America.
Opportunities he missed.
  So in conclusion - Im very glad to have found all of you and hope to
have some interesting times here.  In regards to the Boston/California 
split, perhaps its because UNIX is bicoastal and has no real following 
in the hinterlands... :-)