I'd like to add that so far no openly gay people have joined in on this thread either, but so what? Why would they want to come here and say "yes I'm gay" when there are so many people who would clearly judge them and think of them as "filthy" or less than human? It's been hard enough for me to openly engage in this discussion, and I'm not even gay! But in other threads, I have been attacked and insulted for saying the same things I have said here. In fact, off of MasterRussian I have been called some of the most disgusting slurs you can imagine, in both English and Russian. It's as if I am "filth by association" or something. I do not know what goes through people's minds. I have gay friends - but that doesn't mean I have sex with them anymore than I have sex with any of my heterosexual friends. They are just friends, and I support their right to be who they are and what they are, just as much as I stand up for my Russian friends when I hear Americans engage in Russophobia!

Up to a point, I can take it. I'm a tough girl after being a TV reporter for all those years... but dealing with all the anger and hate and judgement gets to even me after a while, and so I can't imagine how it would feel if I were gay. If I were gay, I doubt I would mention it here at all.