Male erotica in the LGBT group: Why now? What's changed?

[Ms. Toad]

66. I am not looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

The question was raised by someone else. I didn't bring it up - BUT it is something I have felt and because the question was asked I took the opportunity to express it - and to suggest that it might be worth further exploring.

Sorry I wasn't clear as to my first comment - it is late. You asked if I would have parsed the comment if the threads had been women's pictures - which is like asking if I would have parsed the comment if Lake Erie went dry (I'm exaggerating some, of course, but oodles of pictures of scantily clad women is just not a large part of lesbian culture), so I was trying to come up with an equivalent example of something which has played a large role in lesbian culture but which was largely absent from gay men's culture. If a lesbian had ascribed to our (collective) culture something which was exclusive (or nearly so) to the lesbian subculture, yes I would have parsed the comment. And the second part of my response was that it would surprise me very much if a lesbian would ever make such a comment because of the cultural differences associated with being the generic he, rather than the invisible other.

As for whether the group feels unwelcoming to women, are you - as a man - really saying that it is offensive for me - as a woman - to express my feeling that the beefcake threads make me feel less welcome here? Or that you find it offensive when I suggest it might be good for this group to consider whether others might feel similarly and whether that might be impacting the demographics of the group?