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According to the Press, being gay is the same as smoking cigarettes and being overweight


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This in regard to a Doctor at a Spectrum facility lecturing a gay couple a few weeks ago about the illegitimacy of gay marriage (and is now facing disciplinary action):

When does advice to a patient cross the line?

At least it sounds like Spectrum knows the difference between smoking and being gay, and apparently has a strict zero-tolerance policy against this kind of discrimination.

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It sounds like Spectrum is taking the right move and taking care of this problem properly and in a respectful manner. It's interesting how the Press makes it sound like a lifestyle choice, although I'm not in agreement.
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It is always hard for me to understand the lack of tolerance some people have. What business does a doctor have telling a patient they object to their orientation? I saw mention of the risk of disease when having multiple partners, but the fact that the patient was in a committed relationship makes that statement seem inappropriate. Even if the doctor doesn't approve of gay marriage that doesn't mean he should be so intolerant that he lectures people about it.

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What an idiot. I have no regrets about leaving that part of West Michigan behind.

I am pleased, however, that Charles Honey got an overwhelmingly positive response to his heartfelt column in the Press last week about the marriage of his lesbian daughter. There is a basic decency in West Michigan people that I have always found heartwarming, and it came out in the response to that column.

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What an idiot. I have no regrets about leaving that part of West Michigan behind.

I am pleased, however, that Charles Honey got an overwhelmingly positive response to his heartfelt column in the Press last week about the marriage of his lesbian daughter. There is a basic decency in West Michigan people that I have always found heartwarming, and it came out in the response to that column.

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This thread is so refreshing and reassuring to me, as I will be moving back to my hometown of GR in August and this issue is always a concern to me. Grand Rapids is maturing and opening up, despite the inevitability of future incidents like that which occured at the Spectrum clinic. When will people learn? You are born gay. I knew I was different as a young boy. It's organic. Did straight people have a choice? Those who haven't thought it through feel that I DID have a choice somehow and that I then CHOSE the wrong path. They then pride themselves that they are superior for not having made such a bad choice. But who would choose a lifetime of discrimination and marginalization? I feel sorry for those there who don't have anything else to do but dwell on this issue, for soon they will have yet another homo to fret over. But I will say that GR, the city itself, always had a more live-and-let-live attitude than the surrounding areas and I am looking forward to coming home.

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This thread is so refreshing and reassuring to me, as I will be moving back to my hometown of GR in August and this issue is always a concern to me. Grand Rapids is maturing and opening up, despite the inevitability of future incidents like that which occured at the Spectrum clinic. When will people learn? You are born gay. I knew I was different as a young boy. It's organic. Did straight people have a choice? Those who haven't thought it through feel that I DID have a choice somehow and that I then CHOSE the wrong path. They then pride themselves that they are superior for not having made such a bad choice. But who would choose a lifetime of discrimination and marginalization? I feel sorry for those there who don't have anything else to do but dwell on this issue, for soon they will have yet another homo to fret over. But I will say that GR, the city itself, always had a more live-and-let-live attitude than the surrounding areas and I am looking forward to coming home.
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gymguy2k has a point that GR is changing. For being the heart of West Michigan, the city tends to be very welcoming to those that are different and have different ideas. For those reading this forum that didn't know, GR is home to more "alternative" bars, clubs, and coffee shops than most other cities in the state (there are at least 5 well known and popular establishments if you know where to look). It's amazing to me how this has occured even when surrounded by a more conservative culture. I think it speaks volumes of the people of GR and their willingness to embrace change. :good: In fact, like gymguy2k, I plan on eventually moving back to GR because of the culture it has fostered. Out of all the accepting and progressive cities out there, my partner and I find GR to be the best place to live. They call us crazy though for wanting to live in MI when we live in the sunshine state. Yet all the sunshine in FL couldn't change the fact that the culture in West Michigan rocks. So gymguy, I agree with you completely and I'm jealous of the fact you get to move home, just wish I could do the same.

Grand Rapids is maturing and opening up, despite the inevitability of future incidents like that which occured at the Spectrum clinic.

But I will say that GR, the city itself, always had a more live-and-let-live attitude than the surrounding areas and I am looking forward to coming home.

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This is a VERY different city now than the one I moved to ten years ago. (I spent time away and came back, and couldn't believe the difference.)

There's still room to grow in the tolerance department, but things are much better. The ultra-conservative minority is just that - a minority - and I think others have started to speak up. The response to Charles Honey's column showed that. (It's too bad that the Press can only run the knee-jerk misinterpretation letters in the Pulse.)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well gymguy, congrats on moving back! As a Dutch descendant that's lived here all my life and have been openly gay for 25 years, all I can say is this a great place to live. If your into the bar scene, there's four very nice establishments downtown, plus Saugatuck is just a short drive. Heritage Hill has a huge gay following, but my partner & I settled into the suburbs 18 years ago and we've been warmly embraced by our neighbors ever since (and a really cool Lesbian couple just bought the house next door to us). There's also a LGBT community center in Eastown called The Network, where you can pick some additional local info www.the-lgbt-network.org Welcome back!

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Well gymguy, congrats on moving back! As a Dutch descendant that's lived here all my life and have been openly gay for 25 years, all I can say is this a great place to live. If your into the bar scene, there's four very nice establishments downtown, plus Saugatuck is just a short drive. Heritage Hill has a huge gay following, but my partner & I settled into the suburbs 18 years ago and we've been warmly embraced by our neighbors ever since (and a really cool Lesbian couple just bought the house next door to us). There's also a LGBT community center in Eastown called The Network, where you can pick some additional local info www.the-lgbt-network.org Welcome back!
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Now I know that we all live in a straight world and thus we gays have to play by the straight rules (sometimes), however, what would Mr. Agema think if the taxpayers saw his benefits package as a waste of taxpayer money and his wife had no health coverage (I'm just assuming he has a wife)? I'm sure he'd change his tune. Oh, and I've always believed that teachers and educators are far more important in society than self-serving politicians. Just a thought.

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Now I know that we all live in a straight world and thus we gays have to play by the straight rules (sometimes), however, what would Mr. Agema think if the taxpayers saw his benefits package as a waste of taxpayer money and his wife had no health coverage (I'm just assuming he has a wife)? I'm sure he'd change his tune. Oh, and I've always believed that teachers and educators are far more important in society than self-serving politicians. Just a thought.
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