Gay Boomers and nursing attitudes

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I read an interestiing article, in the NYT, today. Apparently the first wave of gay boomers have begun to hit our LTC, Assisted Living, home health agencies. And more and more of them are being belittled, receiving less then quality care, being transfered to units that are not appropriate to them because of other residents. I am wondering, has anyone encountered this yet? What has happen? What is your attitidue? What is being done to correct the problems?

Woody:balloons:

Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
Someone once said (i'm sorry, i've forgotten who it was) that "If you take away every difference of race, religion, ethnicity, (and may I add sexual orientation) by noon we would think of a reason to hate someone". It sounded cynical to me at the time but now I'm pretty sure that whoever it was knew what they were talking about.

But in the quote, Hate is just another word for FEAR.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.
Too feeble, what ya going to do when you get my age hahaha, I aint feeble a bit

Yes Betray us did betray us. Did you listen to his answers.

How he tried to dodge the truths

How he couldnt even give us good examples

Did American soldiers along with others, keep dying and getting injured, yes

He Betrayed Us, He sold Us Out. But he wasnt there for us. He was there to try and make Bushs efforts seem laudable. He was there for the Bushs, That was his sole function, so totally obvious.

Specific example of how he betrayed us please. I don't think the congress would have let him walk away if he had been found guilty of some actual treason (betrayal) of the American people. Just because you find his carrying out of his duty distasteful does not make it a betrayal. You didn't send him over there w/ his orders

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Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.
But in the quote, Hate is just another word for FEAR.

Too true. :o

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

fronkey bean said: "Tweety, I agree w/ everything you say except that it is "preached from pulpits around the country". There are some pulpits that preach a message of intolerance but not as many as you think. The evangelical community does not hate the gay community, many dislike the rampant open sexuallity of both the gay and the hetrosexual community but they don't hate either."

I can certainly appreciate that not every pulpit is homophobic and didn't mean to imply that it was. But there are plenty of homophobic myths being preached from certain pulpits (not all, because as a former Christian, I've been to several gay-affirming churches). I don't hold any grudges or judge all Christians as being homophobic, but lets not sugar coat the facts either. Did you read the above posts before they were deleted....case in point. :)

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Specializes in Critical Care, Progressive Care.
I don't hold any grudges or judge all Christians as being homophobic, but lets not sugar coat the facts either. :)

An excellent although scholarly and somewhat dry read on this topic is the late John Boswell's "Christianity, Homosexuality, and Social Tolerance." His thesis might be loosely paraphrased as homophobia did not arise from nor is it intrinsically linked to Christian teaching. Rather, homophobia appears to arise from rural secular forces in society and tends to rise and fall in an opposite fashion from urban society. (ie the more urban a society the less homophobic).

Sadly some churches have latched on to homosexuality as a proxy for all they find wrong in an increasing modern and urban world. I see their homophobia as the death throws of their errant theology.

I offer the above not in defense of Christianity but rather as a means of understanding homophobia. Even if every pulpit in this country endorsed gay marriage tomorrow morning homophobia will still be with us.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care, ICU.
fronkey bean said: "Tweety, I agree w/ everything you say except that it is "preached from pulpits around the country". There are some pulpits that preach a message of intolerance but not as many as you think. The evangelical community does not hate the gay community, many dislike the rampant open sexuallity of both the gay and the hetrosexual community but they don't hate either."

I can certainly appreciate that not every pulpit is homophobic and didn't mean to imply that it was. But there are plenty of homophobic myths being preached from certain pulpits (not all, because as a former Christian, I've been to several gay-affirming churches). I don't hold any grudges or judge all Christians as being homophobic, but lets not sugar coat the facts either. Did you read the above posts before they were deleted....case in point. :)

not sure which post you mean but understand what you mean. As a current Christian, I've seen tolerance and intolerance from Christians and non-Christians alike. I think it is just harder to take from Christians who have been saved by the mercy of God through the sacrifice of Jesus. How can anyone who partakes of God's grace think they have the right to judge another of God's children? (P.S not to get into theology but I was tayght that , unless you actively renounce Jesus, once saved always saved, so hopefully I'll see you in heaven someday.)

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Specializes in Critical Care, Progressive Care.

No posts on this thread in a while. Are we seeing the Q sign? Too bad as it was an interesting romp through the world of tolerance, theology, church, society, and long term care.

I was thinking about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence today because one of the number was interviewed in the NY Times with regard to Halloween being cancelled in the Castro (the historically gay neighborhood in San Francisco). I felt motivated to google them and check out their website. To be candid I was rather struck by the Christ-life that these men are living. Their big thing is of course fundraising for various charities. One event they do here in San Francisco raises money for HIV+ bicycle riders to enter the AIDS Lifecycle - a charity bike ride from San Francisco to LA. Alot of persons with AIDS would like to ride but do not have sufficient resources (ie rich friends) to come up with the $2,500 mininum donation. So the Sisters step in and make up the difference. How cool is that? Plus, they organized the first ever AIDS candlelight vigil. I also found it noteworthy that two of their early sisters were Registered Nurses.

There is a tradition in the church of "Fools for Christ." :lol2: They have historically been somewhat crazy and even a little heretical, but they live the Word in deed, not just name.

Before one make a judgement about them receiving the Sacarament one might wish to look at their website and note what they have actually done.

http://thesisters.org/sistory.html

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
An excellent although scholarly and somewhat dry read on this topic is the late John Boswell's "Christianity, Homosexuality, and Social Tolerance." His thesis might be loosely paraphrased as homophobia did not arise from nor is it intrinsically linked to Christian teaching. Rather, homophobia appears to arise from rural secular forces in society and tends to rise and fall in an opposite fashion from urban society. (ie the more urban a society the less homophobic).

Sadly some churches have latched on to homosexuality as a proxy for all they find wrong in an increasing modern and urban world. I see their homophobia as the death throws of their errant theology.

I offer the above not in defense of Christianity but rather as a means of understanding homophobia. Even if every pulpit in this country endorsed gay marriage tomorrow morning homophobia will still be with us.

Point well taken. One can hardly call those who beat and killed Matthew Sheppherd "Christians". However, removing homophobia from the pulpits would certainly be a good start.

My point, and it's the point you made above is that we do have to acknowledge that it's preached from some pulpits above and if you many fine people what is their beef with homosexuals and they will mention "sin" as their answer. No resolution of that when they have the Word of God on their side.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
not sure which post you mean but understand what you mean. As a current Christian, I've seen tolerance and intolerance from Christians and non-Christians alike. I think it is just harder to take from Christians who have been saved by the mercy of God through the sacrifice of Jesus. How can anyone who partakes of God's grace think they have the right to judge another of God's children? (P.S not to get into theology but I was tayght that , unless you actively renounce Jesus, once saved always saved, so hopefully I'll see you in heaven someday.)

For some odd reason there was a bug when I was trying to quote you and it would not load so I did it that way.

I agree, as a gay man it is much easier to brush off a non-religious person who calls me a pervert and other names, than it is to listen to a Christian tell me I'm an abomination (at the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival a few weeks ago there were several of those with loud speakers yelling into the crowd.....yep that's going to make me come back to the Lord real fast..........NOT.)

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Specializes in Trauma ICU,ER,ACLS/BLS instructor.
For some odd reason there was a bug when I was trying to quote you and it would not load so I did it that way.

I agree, as a gay man it is much easier to brush off a non-religious person who calls me a pervert and other names, than it is to listen to a Christian tell me I'm an abomination (at the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival a few weeks ago there were several of those with loud speakers yelling into the crowd.....yep that's going to make me come back to the Lord real fast..........NOT.)

I was at a party the other night and was speaking to my niece(who is gay) and a teacher friend of hers. The teacher, who is a devote Catholic ,stated she is bound by her church to believe its teaching,thus is against homosexuality. Yet she also stated that she is taught in this particular sect,to honor all humans and respect their beliefs.Thus not agreeing with our lifestyle,she will not denounce it either. We agreed to disagree. People of different faiths/beliefs can get along,if we just use respect and honor as base in our treatment of others.

I am not a real practicing catholic,although raised strict catholic and schooled as such. My parents where older,yet my Mother always taught us that ur first church is in u and ur home. My Father, worked for the Federal Goverment and was the first in our state to demand a black man be hired. Forty years later, that man came to my Dad's wake.There was no tolerance for any prejudice in our home. Everyone who was good at heart was accepted. We can all be religious in our worlds and I am sure that the powers that be accept us all.

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I presented the topic of gay elderly in efforts to reach out to our senior nursing class so that they may be at the very least aware, and at best culturally competent, to provide care to gay elderly. We will all grow old some day.

Could you please tell me, regarding your comment, what state was that hospital in? Was it Connecticut or in the United States at all? It is one of the questions that came up in class. Please advise if you can. Thanking you in advance.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU,ER,ACLS/BLS instructor.
I presented the topic of gay elderly in efforts to reach out to our senior nursing class so that they may be at the very least aware, and at best culturally competent, to provide care to gay elderly. We will all grow old some day.

Could you please tell me, regarding your comment, what state was that hospital in? Was it Connecticut or in the United States at all? It is one of the questions that came up in class. Please advise if you can. Thanking you in advance.

Who r u asking? If u mean the woman and her partner on the cruise in Florida? That happened in Miami last Feb ,I believe. If u look at the beginning of the thread there r some links u can follow to the article and her website!

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