keleeso
Here is the progression of this LGBT members thoughts as she (meaning me) read through the threads:
1. Cool – a meeting for other gay people in West Seattle
2. (at reading NR request to come)-Huh. I wonder why she would ask that instead of just showing up. (this later became-Gheesh, that is unusual. I don’t know of many Republicans who what want to join us (yes, me judging).
3. Then I thought. Hmmmm. If NR just came with a GLBT friend she would have been totally accepted and no-one would have questioned why she wanted to be there.
4. By now I am up to date on all related threads and I am thinking-This is ridiculous. I have never seen anyone who is not a member of the group (ie. gardners, motorcycle enthusiests, etc) ask to come to a group. I just assumed that ‘members’ would sometimes bring friends who had some interest in the group- without questioning why they were there.
5. Fast forward through annoyance at the tone people are using, at the stubborness and closemindedness. Sadness about the lack of clarity, inability to understand and anger. Frustration that things cannot be more easily explained (in part because we have so many different views of the issues)
6. Then Hope. People do want to clarify. I would love to meet with NR and Soc and anyone else who is interested in a face-to-face-…) meeting to discuss something that seems to big for these blogging bits.
I hope people who are interested in discussion will continue it here, and if it happens, join an informal group to discuss.