fsubone Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 It's a non-issue. There were some openly gay and not so openly gay members in the corps I was in every year. You spend every day working and traveling with these people, what they do in their private lives is of no concern. Besides the normal couple-based drama that occurs on tour, no one ever had a problem. Anyone that thinks that the gay guys are constantly checking them out and want to get on them are probably quite deluded, and think every girl on the street wants them too. I think everyone in a drum corps develops some pretty intensive tunnel vision about the showering situation, where you get in, get clean, and get out. You have more important things to be doing than staring at someone else's doodle. My thought was always if you had any energy to fool around with anyone after a day of practice, you weren't working hard enough. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmc5682 Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Let me just add that I was one of those gay boys in the shower. Half our guard was male and 75 percent of those male members were gay and believe me, the last thing on my mind was who was in the showers with me at any given time. I was just happy if we got warm showers as at least half of the time we didn't, and the only thing on my mind when showering was speed as I wanted to get clean, get dressed, eat breakfast, put on sunscreen, find some clean socks, and get my butt to warm ups on time. That was it and I would venture a guess that this is still the case for gay guys marching in drum corps now. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveKathyG Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Based on the responses to this thread, I would venture to say that drum corps is probably a bit more gay-friendly but not much more informed than the sports community. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 (edited) Based on the responses to this thread, I would venture to say that drum corps is probably a bit more gay-friendly but not much more informed than the sports community. We may need to make a distinction between drum corps fans and drum corps members in regards to this subject. My guess is that those who march probably match the attitudes of their peers who don't march and fans match the attitudes of those who don't follow drum corps in their age group. Edited April 19, 2013 by Tim K 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Like straight men have never looked at another straight man in the shower...or straight woman never looked at another nude- not necessarily in a sexual context.....but I know (straight)guys in high school who got their nicknames from (straight guys) the locker room---and it was not because no one was looking :-) There is an assumption that someone "wants to jump someone's bones--that they have no boundaries.....We all have thoughts and maybe impure at times, but with a conscience, would be likely to avoid the consequences of violating another's boundaries...like... oh rape, jail, emotional, physical harm. Personally I don't have that assumption that a homosexual wants to jump me (not sure if that's what you meant) but agree with everything down to the :-). Back in the 70s if a guy was looking it was usally thought he was comparing himself with others (lack of ego or too much ego). Now that we know there is a higher percentage of homosexuals than before, if it's a total stranger looking you're just not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Line I have an issue with is: "Just because you're a dude and there's a gay dude in the locker room with you doesn't mean that person wants to jump your bones!" which I do not believe. But that doesn't rule out getting looked over while in the shower. Or at least the fear of getting checked out. C'mon (hetro) guys.. we check out the women when we get the chance. And if we were all in a co-ed shower do you think some of the guys wouldn't have problems keeping their eyes off a nice looking female. So what would be the difference between hetro in the co-ed shower and gay in the same sex shower? And how much more alike can ya get? LOL - so which line did people get upset with. The idea that some people have a fear of getting looked at while in the shower? Or the idea that hetros in a co-ed shower would look? Or hetro men looking at women in the same way gay guys would look at other guys? Or the "alike" line... Mebbe I should ask my lesbian friends about this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Is this really a problem? My time in corps (Rochester Crusaders) was like this....Gays knew who was and wasn't and there was no problem. We went into the same locker room/shower and I don't think any guy cared if someone was gay or not! We were all in the same family. After all day rehearsals in the hot sun, a shower to get the sweat and stink off was all we cared about. I think our activity is way ahead of society when it comes to gays. They are still my brothers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 The one way it was described to me was: picture yourself in this scenario,.......your a straight guy heading to the locker/shower room of your housing sight..........would you be allowed to head into the girls showers?,...........I think not,..........so in turn, should someone that is homosexual be allowed into the showers with members of the same sex? Yes, because showering is about being clean, not hooking up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 understood Other Mike,..................but again, take the Gay componant out,..........would the girls be okay with a guy heading into their locker/shower room,......... Look above...it has happened. However, as also stated, the housing sponsor would probably have a fit...how would they know the orientation of the members? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 The questions about the showers come from an old fashioned, factually inaccurate and stereotypical assumption that gay people by their very nature are uncontrollable hedonists who can't control themselves when if they see another person of the same gender in anything less than a full suit of armor. Not true. I think that comes from a straight guy's perspective when they know what they are thinking about the hot girls they see and just assuming it would be the same for a gay guy looking at them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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