No need for this

Probably a lot of Broadway Soundtracks as well..

and the word homosexual - uses the greek root.

where homo sapiens- uses the latin root.

I think thats where Chris has made his mistake in his post.

Homosexual does not apply only to Gay Men - but its often used that way.

Gay does apply only to men either - Lesbians are also Gay. They are also homosexuals.


homophobic - would probably be more accurately termed homosexualphobic.

The term Homophobic is often misunderstood - many arent afraid of homosexuals, instead they would rather repress and punish those who practice it.

What the fear is actually is that someday homosexuality wont be persecuted, I think.

I've seen several real-world stores that specialize in items for left-handed people. They sell things like scissors, shears, can openers, archery gear, and many other products that are designed for left-handed or ambidexterous use. You'd be surprized at what sort of things can be improved by a design change to make it easier to use left handed. I am ambidextrous, and have found these stores quite handy for certain items.

I've seen shops and even mini-malls that specialized in merchandise of interest to African Americans. There's one a few miles from my house. Doesn't sell a single thing that would interest me, as I don't wear those clothing styles or decorate my house in that fashion or wear those hair styles. But they have a thriving customer base among the local black population, judging from the number of cars in their parking lot.

I've seen grocery stores and whole malls that cater to the tastes and retail markets for Asians, or to Spanish/Mexican clients. It's really rather common where I live. I am not Chinese in real life, but I frequently shop at one nearby Chinese mall, to get Pocky, tea, and some specialty food items for making Chinese cuisine. Things the local grocery store would never deign to carry.

I've also been in stores in the real-world that catered to the gay and lesbian community, where one could buy gay-pride bumper stickers, t-shirts, and other stuff like that. I sell a few t-shirts that would go well in such a mall, but not enough to bother opening a new branch in one.

I've been in malls in SL that served the furry community, with lots of furry avatars for sale and other things furries like to buy. Since I am a Furry, I am more likely to shop in a furry-themed mall.

Ditto for marketplaces dedicated to the Goreans, with their furnishings, food, e-books, slave collars, and the like. Theu have little that I would buy, but that makes them no less valid as a retail site. They do have a well-established customer base.

People DO use targeted marketing, and do encourage specialized merchants to gather in one spot to increase sales to a niche market.

It happens all the time in real life, as well as in SL.

It's called having a point of difference in a crowded marketplace. It's a marketing tactic. Find something real to get outraged about.

I'm not gay (not, of course, that there's anything wrong with it), and am greatly amused by this tread; seeing people getting bent out of shape over something so trivial.

I also wonder if the food court will be selling Beefy Gayburgers.

Cobalt, you *do* know your signature is AR-able?

Probably a lot of sausages........and fish.

LOL Well, according to Daniel Linden it is. I guess I should be worried

Let's not forget the phallic vegetables.

I didn't know that, ya learn a lot in the SL forums.


I hope I don't stumble over that place, else I'll probably be camping for the rest of my life. :/

...Kids too, with Inner Child Depot, Playland Mall, and Legoland Mall. We kinda like places where us kids feel a bit safer. 'specially nowadays. I also knwo the stuff there is gonna fit my avvie, and be designed largelt for a kid market.

I s'pect the "gay mall" is kinda the same thing: a combination of a safe, welcoming space an items of interest to their community.

Marii

gay also means 'Happy' 'In Good Spirits'

Maybe its just a HAPPY MALL

So he fears himself?

Thank you Colette.

Oh dear, not the wisest choice of words.

A gay only mall would be something worth complaining about but a gay friendly mall isn't.

Why would gay only be worth complaining about? Free association and it's opposite the right to not associate are basic human rights. More so than the "right' to shop in a mall.

You think? Replace sexuality with colour, is that still acceptable? Open discrimination of that nature is not something I support, nor do I think it has a place in a public mall.

Yes I would, the right of free association means the right to discriminate. The free market will fix any and all shortcomings brought about. The problem has always been government enforced discrimination. But then I disagree with the new meaning of the word "public" the mall is still privately owned. As such the owners should be able to bar whoever they want for what ever reason they want.

There have been court cases that suggest otherwise. There are limitations on the right to free association, even in the United States.

====================

Customer: "Hello, my wife and I would like to be seated."

Maitre d': "Wait a minute. You are a man, and you are married to this woman?"

Customer: "Yes."

Maitre d': "We don't serve your kind in here . . ."

====================

I don't think an establishment that calls itself a gay establishment becomes discriminatory until it starts refusing to do business with non-gay people.

I personally live in Brighton UK, Every year we get masses of gay folk in our city due to the fact that its the gay capital of europe and every year we have gay pride.

Allthough myself am not gay ... it doesnt bother me somebodies sexuality, colour, creed or religion ... BUT

there is such a thing as reverse descrimination and over politcal correctness....

How many rules would I break if I walked down the street shouting ...

Im White, Im Male Im married Im streight...

I would be a sexist , racist homophobic bigot who would be beaten up or thrown in prison.

People who are for better word "gay" have NO extra rights as a black person or a white person...male or femail disabled or able bodied..

A person IS a person regardless of these things and the minute we loose track of that fact we are in essence descrimating those people who are not the same as us. If I open up a Nazi shop becasue I was a white supremisist or a KKK shop for all your hooded needs then does these two distastfull acts allso deserve the right to exist becasue ultimately the right to choose is more relivant than the right to jump up and down SHOUTING

" I am GAY ... I have a gay shop".....

If ANYBODY wants equal rights .. then act equal ... if anybody thinks they deserve to be treated differently .. then the argument for equal rights is already lost.

Personal I think the refernce to a gay mall.... really IS saying ... this is a "gay wares" mall ... and theefor giving you the respect of letting you know RATHER that prohibiting your enterence.....i.e American Apparell doesnt only let americans in ... or prohibit australians *lol*

Quite so, at least here in the United States. Shopping areas have been deemed to be public areas, where antidiscrimination laws apply; thus, you cannot bar somebody from your store because of race or sex, and in states where sexual orientation is a legally protected category, you cannot bar them for that.

Freedom of association has fewer restrictions in private spaces. Thus, one can bar somebody from your home on the basis of race, or from a private club. The latter category is tricky, however, because some clubs that are important venues for business or political deals have been deemed to be public accomodations as well for the purposes of antidiscrimination law.

I believe that the intent of the community standards in Second Life is similar to US law. Barring anybody from a public area (park, store, club that advertises open events, etc.) on the basis of any protected category (race, sex, species, sexual orientation) would be a violation.

Some what off topic, but yesterday I was walking around an animation store in SL looking for some animations I wanted to use in an item I'm trying to make (A type of Neko AO in case your wondering, with animations to play with balls of yarn and other kitty-like actions as well as normal 'human' animations) and this particular store had an area of sexual animations that I was wondering through when I heard this woman and this guy talking... Apparently she felt 'disgusted' to be in 'this sort of place' due to the bdsm nature of some of the poses... And I was thinking to myself "It's an animation store, why not sell any type of animation your customers want...?"

As they name of the shop was suggestive of some of it's content (Don't remember the exact name, but it was like "Sexy Actions" or something like that... I visited 20 odd stores in SL this weekend), I really didn't think she had any reason to be 'outraged' or 'disgusted' over it's content... It's rather funny that as upset as she made herself out to be, she did wonder the whole store with her guy while I was there...

Conformity and suppression of identity should not be prerequisites for equality.

And she had every right to be "disguisted." And all she had to do was leave the store. her problem is solved.