×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Forum - View topic
NEWS: Prefecture's Youth Council Discusses 'Harmful' Books & Homosexuality


Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next

Note: this is the discussion thread for this article

Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
bonbonsrus



Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 1537
Location: Michigan, USA
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 2:41 pm Reply with quote
I have not ever seen the sort of thing you are talking about Apollo-kun, most yaoi I have seen rarely mentions women let alone has them treating men poorly. Plenty of men treating other men poorly in a lot though.

Regardless, the logic that a women being aggressive, even in this culture, would lead a man (or a boy) to think that another man would be a better option (whose gender defined role is the more aggressive one in this situation) is baffling. Is it easier to stomach the thought of a man bending his will to another man than a woman? The complete lack of logical thought behind these statements is as troubling as the statements themselves are absurd. It would be funny if it weren't so...well, you know.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail My Anime My Manga
Cecilthedarkknight_234



Joined: 02 Apr 2011
Posts: 3820
Location: Louisville, KY
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 3:04 pm Reply with quote
...but i like femdom... dammit japan
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website My Anime My Manga
scineram



Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Posts: 371
Location: Green Hell
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 3:28 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
The second council member continued that in the past, homosexuality was discussed in special surroundings, but are now discussed publicly.


Someone didn't lock the closet properly!?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail MSN Messenger
ptj_tsubasa



Joined: 04 Feb 2009
Posts: 129
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 3:45 pm Reply with quote
scineram wrote:
Quote:
The second council member continued that in the past, homosexuality was discussed in special surroundings, but are now discussed publicly.


Someone didn't lock the closet properly!?

This is also an aspect of Japanese culture. According to the idea about honne and tatemae the "personal truth" can be different from "public truth" without it being considered lying. The actual truth might be unpleasant to others, but it can be tolerated as long as the appearances are kept straight and it's not discussed openly. The existence of gays, in this case.

Understanding how Japanese culture is based around this concept helps to understand many aspects of it.

For example, you often hear Western conservatives say that gays can be as gay as they want as long as they just don't DO anything gay. This is what you often hear from priests: the ACTS are the bad thing (the sin), not the identity. On the other hand, the Japanese conservatives don't find the idea of DOING gay things the thing that offends them, but instead the fact that people ARE publicly gay. They think that gay IDENTITY is the bad thing (as it disrupts social order and marriage institution), not the ACTS behind closed doors.


Last edited by ptj_tsubasa on Tue Jan 10, 2012 3:55 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
reanimator





PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 3:48 pm Reply with quote
Yttrbio wrote:
I think I'll hold off on condemning Japan for the activites of the "Youth Healthy Development Council," which I suspect is not fully representative of all viewpoints in Japan.


Same here. Just like anywhere else, there are conservatives and liberals. Japan is no exception.

It's wrong for foreign fans of Japanese pop/sub culture to assume that all Japanese are liberal.
Back to top
Yuxing



Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 25
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:03 pm Reply with quote
*facepalm*

Japan arguably has some of the weirdest, creepiest pr0n around of any nation... and then there's this.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message My Anime My Manga
Darkmagick
Subscriber



Joined: 24 Nov 2011
Posts: 463
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:14 pm Reply with quote
This is disgusting and ridiculous. I can't believe anyone can actually believe this crap...

...I guess maybe I'm sheltered, since I interact mainly with people who are okay with homosexuality on a daily basis, but I didn't think people's misconceptions about homosexuality were still so bad that they'd say these sorts of silly ideas in public...>_>
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
CKSqua



Joined: 07 Oct 2011
Posts: 38
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:17 pm Reply with quote
ptj_tsubasa wrote:
For example, you often hear Western conservatives say that gays can be as gay as they want as long as they just don't DO anything gay. This is what you often hear from priests: the ACTS are the bad thing (the sin), not the identity.


I digress, but in the west, there are two different viewpoints among conservatives.

One stance states that homosexuals are born the way they are, so their tendencies alone aren't immoral. Rather, they're called to become celibate and to avoid sexual acts altogether. That's the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox position.

Another viewpoint is that people are naturally heterosexual but choose to adopt homosexual tendencies/lifestyles (i.e. they turn gay and can thus turn straight, like the flip of a light switch). In that sense, both the identity and associated acts are immoral. This is the position held by Christian fundamentalists and many evangelical denominations.

As for the Japanese stance, that sounds about right.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sunday Silence



Joined: 22 Jun 2010
Posts: 2047
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 4:44 pm Reply with quote
I....geh....erm.....HUH?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
ArsenicSteel



Joined: 12 Jan 2010
Posts: 2370
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:16 pm Reply with quote
Yuxing wrote:
*facepalm*

Japan arguably has some of the weirdest, creepiest pr0n around of any nation... and then there's this.


You don't get out much do ya.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
The Goron Marshall



Joined: 21 Jun 2009
Posts: 111
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:27 pm Reply with quote
This is hilarious. I mean, just wow. I don't think I can take any of this seriously.

They need to educate themselves on homosexuality. Homosexuality is more or less something one is born with. By all means, I do not think that BL or josei manga would be enough to encourage someone to change their sexuality.

Japan is really behind the times. Of course, they have a different lifestyle there, if you can call it that, but they're still behind them.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger My Anime My Manga
Sunday Silence



Joined: 22 Jun 2010
Posts: 2047
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:35 pm Reply with quote
The Goron Marshall wrote:
Japan is really behind the times.


Uganda beats Japan in the "hilariously out of date info about Gays" department.


Last edited by Sunday Silence on Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:38 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
The Goron Marshall



Joined: 21 Jun 2009
Posts: 111
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:37 pm Reply with quote
Sunday Silence wrote:
The Goron Marshall wrote:
Japan is really behind the times.


Uganda beats Japan in the "hilariously out of date info" department.


I wasn't saying that Japan is the only one.

I don't expect them to change anyway.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message MSN Messenger My Anime My Manga
Sir Amyas Leigh



Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Posts: 91
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:02 pm Reply with quote
... So if a guy likes his gf to get out the riding crop and the 'pointy' boots, all the sudden he's gay? Really?

Why would someones individual choices bother another person anyway?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Juno016



Joined: 09 Jan 2012
Posts: 2391
PostPosted: Tue Jan 10, 2012 6:30 pm Reply with quote
Tsubasa said everything, and more, that I wanted to say (read his comments!). Others also brought up the fact that the prefecture is extremely conservative (as are many major non-city prefectures).

To summarize the issue:
Japan's more conservative citizens support the idea of separate inner and outer identities (inner being the "true" identity of the individual and outer being the "accepted" social identity they must hold up in public). Homosexuality, despite being an active part of Japanese history, was always part of the inner identity. By putting manga that "support" outer identities of homosexuality in public space, the line between the inner and outer identity is being challenged. The politicians made the connection between "female taking the lead" and "become homosexual" simply by following this train of logic: Female taking the lead --> Female assumes man's role in relationship --> Male assumes woman's role in relationship --> Males who assume woman's role are typically homosexual --> Male might become homosexual as a result of assuming woman's role. It seems pretty ridiculous, but many Japanese are more likely to conveniently connect gender roles with sexuality rather than consider the difference between the two.

So what do we do?
I honestly suggest letting the issue work itself out with time. Japan is becoming much more global and the newer/younger generations are much more willing to accept the Western thought process concerning the issue. Once these newer generations take control, we'll definitely see change. If anything, though, the question is... "When?"
The only other option is for the newer generations to take more interest in politics and the way their country is run NOW. Unfortunately, they don't seem to have that big of an interest in this as of late (to the convenience of government officials being elected to their positions--Ishihara included).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6  Next
Page 3 of 6

 


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group