Movie Review: The Kite Runner I'll be surprised if this film doesn't end up in my 'Five Best' of 2008 as it surely will. I found it so powerful both in execution as well as in addressing the subjects raised and it's made me even more determined to read the book. Quite stunning.

The Sudanese Teddy Bear Saga Whatever the rights and wrongs of the incident (did I say 'rights'?) it's clear that the episode has been a total gift to Islamaphobes, certainly in the UK - and I try my best not to consider myself as one - even though the memory rankles of Sir Iqbal Sacranie, (former leader of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain) describing me and my ilk as "repulsive, diseased and morally deficient". Can we really carry on denouncing those who don't necessarily hold to the beliefs or behavioural strictures of our own 'group'? If one does voluntarily subscribe to them and then falls short, it may indeed be pertinent to cry "foul", but surely not otherwise - although I agree that for all individuals 2-way sensitivity is desirable. A bit more tolerance all round would certainly not be amiss. (By the way, isn't the forename 'Jesus' relatively common for males in Latin American countries?)
Khaki

Suicide Note of a HIV Patient Re: #16 Some years ago I was honoured to be able to work as a volunteer helping people with AIDS. Any apprehensions about such work had been dispelled by seeing so many of my own friends succumbing and eventually dying, often slowly and very painfully. But this further volunteering experience opened both my mind and my heart. Not once did I try to find out or even guess how the patient had acquired the virus. It was totally irrelevant and anyway, as a 'mere' volunteer, all medical records were out of bounds. Perhaps this kind of work would have a similar effect for you. It was invaluable. I only stopped doing it because seeing so much suffering was doing my own mental health no good, although I had the luxury of being able to retreat to my own home comforts for respite. But I still desperately feel, not only for those yet suffering but also for their close relatives/carers etc who have no choice but to continue their assistance. I know in only a very small way how taxing it can be to both body and mind. May they receive all the strength they require - even though the requirement is often superhuman.
I'm rather confused about a particular point you make. You say that I and all others of my ilk should be stoned, presumably to death, for being what we are. (I take it that you are informed enough to know that BEING homosexual is NOT a choice. A choice of refusing to live a lie, yes, I grant you that.) Yet you say that no one should have to resort to the option of suicide. Does that include me killing myself for whatever reason - or is it that you want the satisfaction of knowing that I am being executed by someone else? Just wondered.

Khaki

Suicide Note of a HIV Patient Desperately tragic story. I myself have lost several friends over the years through AIDS. Some told me that if it got too bad for them they would also kill themselves before they deteriorated still further, but when it came to it none of them did. At least all of them had the support of their family, though in a few cases it was only tacit rather than overtly demonstrative. But in the particular case you tell it is the all-too frequent tale of a vulnerable and helpless person being denied the very support from the people who can most provide it. Shame on society i.e. all of us. May he now rest in peace.
Khaki

The Choice of Leading a Gay Life As a gay man who discarded my Roman Catholicism in my mid-20s (why did I take so long?) when I came out, I'm constantly exasperated by the way so many religions - Christianity and (even more?), Islam in particular - talk about BEING gay as a choice. The heading of this thread is accurately expressed - the choice we actually have is to (a) pretend to be hetero. (b) suppress all our sexual instincts and live an asexual, celibate life, or (c) to be true to ourselves and attempt to live emotionally and physically fulfilled. This is not even slightly recognised in either the Bible or the Koran which both treat us as making the 'evil choice' of DECIDING to be homosexual, as though we could just as easily have chosen to be hetero, which is one of several reasons which leads me to believe that whoever wrote the words of the Bible and the Koran, it certainly wasn't the 'Creator' (if there is one) - the author clearly not having a clue about the nature of sexuality, talking as though we find men and women equally sexually attractive and should decide to follow the one 'permitted' way in the same way that, well, that I have decided to be a veggie. Well, I for one certainly can't claim to be bi-sexual. You'd think that if being gay was so wrong, there would at least be some acknowledgment that we should be afforded GREATER understanding not LESS - or even no understanding at all, as is almost exclusively preached. No, my homosexuality is as integral to my being as is my swarthy colour - I don't want to change either, and I wouldn't even if I could!

An Insight Into the Way Shiv Sena Functions Re: # 89
This relates to No 10 (Hardeep). Sorry!

An Insight Into the Way Shiv Sena Functions As a former boy scout myself (also gay, incidentally) who was and is still proud to wear khaki shorts, I hope it isn`t too petty to register my disapproval of these yobs desecrating the traditions of this illustrious garment with all its honourable scouting associations. The result is that their use of the colour khaki in this context reflects the worst excesses of militarism - maybe not such a coincidence after all?