Parent & Friend Reactions to your Bronyness: Before & After

[XxConfusedUnicornxX 834]

Yep! Got bullied a lot until I kicked one of the bullies where the sun never shines

[Remi 1,309]

sorry I was in a bit of a sour mood last night. I tend to gain a rather warped perspective when I get like that. I'm still learning that in those instances the best thing to do is take some time and keep my mouth shut for a minute before I reply, but unfortunately what happens is I grab a bigger shovel and keep digging haha. I'm sure I misread what you were trying to say, I do that quite often. It's kind of something I struggle with.

What I disliked is your interpretation of my post, thinking you should just shut up. I meant to say express yourself, but don'r compare it to something of such grandeur like revealing you're gay.

[WhiteGuardian 168]

Yep! Got bullied a lot until I kicked one of the bullies where the sun never shines

lol haha you go girl! he won't be bothering you again.

[Remi 1,309]

Yep! Got bullied a lot until I kicked one of the bullies where the sun never shines

"Bobby, would you like to tell your parents how you've been winning your fights?"

 

"I kick them hard in the testicles, dad!"

 

"Bobby what the hell?!"

[WhiteGuardian 168]

What I disliked is your interpretation of my post, thinking you should just shut up. I meant to say express yourself, but don'r compare it to something of such grandeur like revealing you're gay.

You're right, you make a very fair point. I was just coming from a perspective of the level of difficulty for each person is all relative to that person, but after giving it some thought I realize that it is not quite the same. I realize I kind of contradicted my own point.

[Argumedies 1,748]

Nope.. closet brony all the way and that's how I like it.... okay... 3 people know irl ... and their semi cool about it... they keep it to themselves.... I hope....

[Bojo 1,172]

Yep! Got bullied a lot until I kicked one of the bullies where the sun never shines

Ouch, that was a dirty move, but guess it was necessary in order to stop the bully. Well done in my opinion.

[Its Rainbow Dash 151]

Lol I guess deal with a bully in your own way but kicking in the jewels imo is a low blow.

 

But I digress from a on-looking view point he shouldn't have been bullying in the first place that too is a low blow.

 

My Final reply after reviewing all the facts?

 

That was Hilarious.....

 

 

[Guest]

 

 

While it isn't as bad as that dished out to the LGBT community, those people who let slip they like MLP or are found out in some other way are frequently bullied and teased mercilessly, even submitted to physical abuse because of that. We all know it happens and who would want to put themselves through that if avoiding it was as simple hiding your true self?

 

You know I have been researching that for a week or so, and so far I am finding that point to be exceptionally exaggerated. I do not think bronies are as mercilessly bullied as they make it out to be...

 

 

 

There are military service men and women who hide their inner Brony for fear of personal and professional repercussions,

 

I have never heard of that. Would you please provide some evidence? Also are they hiding it because they are a brony, or because they are afraid people will think they are gay? Big difference.

 

 

 

I feel I should remind you of Michael Morones?

 

I knew this was going to come up. You have just proved exactly what I KNEW bronies would do. They are going to use this Michael Morones story as ammo any time someone brings up that bronies are exaggerating the amount of hate they get. One kid does not verify anything, it just means that one kid may have not been able to take all the bullying, which could have been very minor in comparison to others. Know how many gay kids kill themselves every single day that no one gives a damn about? There are faaaaar less cases of bronies befalling this kind of torment than gay kids, and there are less gay kids.

 

 

 

This bullying and torment IS real. It IS real enough to drive an 11yo to attempt suicide, and he probably has long lasting brain damage as a direct result*. How much more real, how much more 'life changing' should it be? Should we wait for the first Brony lynching, before allowing Bronies the closest?

 

Play on emotion. Clever, but ineffective. Your ploy neglects the fact that no one is lynching bronies. It neglects that gay people have been lynched for thousands of years. That humans used to kill gays the moment they admitted they were gay with little to no acceptance. You want to compare one kid trying to kill himself (which we don't even have all the facts to as we have never seen this "bullying" or the extent of it) to something like that? People kill themselves for not getting a promotion at work, should we start the attack on lack of promotions? No. Not every grievance is a lawsuit, as the saying goes.

 

 

 

Atheists are also using the phrase 'coming out' as well, and heck most of America hates them more than they hate gays!!. Should they stop using the phrase too?

 

A religion is a life changing thing. Liking a cartoon is not, so I don't see your point.

 

 

 

Coming out may have been coined and first adopted by the gay community, but it is bigger than that. It's a statement of self-declaration. A line in the sand where despite risk of ridicule and persecution (and, to varying degrees, actual violence ) people stand up and say 'this is me, this is who I am, I refuse to hide my true self away simply because you disapprove, and or threaten me'.

 

"Mom... Dad... I have a confession... I like Powerpuff girls and if you don't accept that, I'm not your son anymore! This is more than a show, it's a part of my life!"

 

It's a declaration of interest, not a state of being. You're interested in the subject, you aren't "living it". I am growing tired of bronies acting like they understand the pain and ridicule that gays go through simply because they like something that is unpopular for their age group/gender. Big deal, you don't get a medal, you're not breaking social constraints by liking a cartoon. When's the last time bronies were denied their rights? When's the last time they hung bronies? When's the last time they kicked bronies out of the military for being bronies (and not because they were suspected of being gay)? When's the last time you were denied entry to somewhere because you were a brony? When's the last time you were beat up for being a brony?

 

You wanna go with plays on emotion? How about something real. THAT is the kind of shit that gays live through every single day. You want to compare? I dare you to do so, because I know as a fact you'll come up short.

 

 

 

A large part of the reason gay acceptance HAS moved on in recent years is because so many people came out. Suddenly it wasn't just the isolated freak everyone could pick on, it was you neighbour, your bank manager, your boss, your best friend, your husband/wife. It wasn't that this was not always the case, but suddenly it was oh so visible.

 

Yet people still use "that's gay" as an insult. People still kill gay kids. People still beat up 2 transgender kids because they thought they were gay. People still want to put gays in camps to "pray the gay away". How many camps like that for bronies are there?

 

 

 

There is still a huge and developing problem that is linked to the whole issue of Homophobia, and that is gender separation and enforcement in children's media and products.

 

Wut...? No.

 

I am IN the LGBT community and they are not after that goal at all. That's a ridiculous non-issue. Homophobia has nothing to do with gender roles in toys. Homophobia has to do with ignorant assholes who think that their unwarranted hatred of people that are different from them should be law. Gay people don't want barbies to be more geared towards both genders, that's stupid. Toys for boys and toys for girls is not an issue. We could care less if toy trucks stay for boys and dolls stay for girls. We are not trying to get it to where the toys are neutral gendered. We are trying to get it so that people don't beat up a boy for having a barbie. We are not asking companies to abandon market strategies that are successful on our behalf. That would be idiotic.

 

We want there to still be toys for girls and toys for boys, because that's what kids are interested in. Kids don't grow into hate filled adults because barbie told them that any girl who owns a dirt bike is dyke, no. Other adults told them that. The toys are not the problem at all, it's the parents and other adults raising these kids.

 

 

 

You say Bronies shouldn't 'come out' because it undermines and belittles the LGBT struggle? I say it's part of the same fight.

 

What...? No it isn't at all... That is ridiculous that you are blatantly saying the struggles I went through are comparable to liking a cartoon. That is ridiculously offensive.

 

Bronies shouldn't "come out" because there is no need to in the FIRST PLACE! I like Spongebob, but when people don't like Spongebob, I don't talk about it. I don't need to be accepted by strangers for my interests, because everyone is entitled to hate my interests if they like. They are not however entitled to be assholes to me based upon what my sexual preference is, which is none of their business anyways. 

[Kyobona 75]

First, when I read this I thought you were coming out as a gay, and I chuckled to myself XD

 

I have said to my good friends that I'm a brony and they really didn't care.

 

 

Well, yesterday at work, I came out to one of my good friends that I was a brony. She had no idea what that was. Or even what MLP:FIM is. On the bright side, she was super cool about it, and very nonjudgemental. Which s more than I can say for my best friend who does know what the show is and teases me constantly. And then there is my family, ugghhh. But anyway, it felt good to tell somepony. Anypony else have any experiences like this?

 

haha that's legit. lol I love it when friends are cool with it.  im planning on slowly telling all of my friends. this could take a while. T_T

[WhiteGuardian 168]

Well lucky you. That give me hope.

[Kyobona 75]

You know I have been researching that for a week or so, and so far I am finding that point to be exceptionally exaggerated. I do not think bronies are as mercilessly bullied as they make it out to be...

 

 

 

 

I have never heard of that. Would you please provide some evidence? Also are they hiding it because they are a brony, or because they are afraid people will think they are gay? Big difference.

 

 

 

 

I knew this was going to come up. You have just proved exactly what I KNEW bronies would do. They are going to use this Michael Morones story as ammo any time someone brings up that bronies are exaggerating the amount of hate they get. One kid does not verify anything, it just means that one kid may have not been able to take all the bullying, which could have been very minor in comparison to others. Know how many gay kids kill themselves every single day that no one gives a damn about? There are faaaaar less cases of bronies befalling this kind of torment than gay kids, and there are less gay kids.

 

 

 

 

Play on emotion. Clever, but ineffective. Your ploy neglects the fact that no one is lynching bronies. It neglects that gay people have been lynched for thousands of years. That humans used to kill gays the moment they admitted they were gay with little to no acceptance. You want to compare one kid trying to kill himself (which we don't even have all the facts to as we have never seen this "bullying" or the extent of it) to something like that? People kill themselves for not getting a promotion at work, should we start the attack on lack of promotions? No. Not every grievance is a lawsuit, as the saying goes.

 

 

 

 

A religion is a life changing thing. Liking a cartoon is not, so I don't see your point.

 

 

 

 

"Mom... Dad... I have a confession... I like Powerpuff girls and if you don't accept that, I'm not your son anymore! This is more than a show, it's a part of my life!"

 

It's a declaration of interest, not a state of being. You're interested in the subject, you aren't "living it". I am growing tired of bronies acting like they understand the pain and ridicule that gays go through simply because they like something that is unpopular for their age group/gender. Big deal, you don't get a medal, you're not breaking social constraints by liking a cartoon. When's the last time bronies were denied their rights? When's the last time they hung bronies? When's the last time they kicked bronies out of the military for being bronies (and not because they were suspected of being gay)? When's the last time you were denied entry to somewhere because you were a brony? When's the last time you were beat up for being a brony?

 

You wanna go with plays on emotion? How about something real. THAT is the kind of shit that gays live through every single day. You want to compare? I dare you to do so, because I know as a fact you'll come up short.

 

 

 

 

Yet people still use "that's gay" as an insult. People still kill gay kids. People still beat up 2 transgender kids because they thought they were gay. People still want to put gays in camps to "pray the gay away". How many camps like that for bronies are there?

 

 

 

 

Wut...? No.

 

I am IN the LGBT community and they are not after that goal at all. That's a ridiculous non-issue. Homophobia has nothing to do with gender roles in toys. Homophobia has to do with ignorant assholes who think that their unwarranted hatred of people that are different from them should be law. Gay people don't want barbies to be more geared towards both genders, that's stupid. Toys for boys and toys for girls is not an issue. We could care less if toy trucks stay for boys and dolls stay for girls. We are not trying to get it to where the toys are neutral gendered. We are trying to get it so that people don't beat up a boy for having a barbie. We are not asking companies to abandon market strategies that are successful on our behalf. That would be idiotic.

 

We want there to still be toys for girls and toys for boys, because that's what kids are interested in. Kids don't grow into hate filled adults because barbie told them that any girl who owns a dirt bike is dyke, no. Other adults told them that. The toys are not the problem at all, it's the parents and other adults raising these kids.

 

 

 

 

What...? No it isn't at all... That is ridiculous that you are blatantly saying the struggles I went through are comparable to liking a cartoon. That is ridiculously offensive.

 

Bronies shouldn't "come out" because there is no need to in the FIRST PLACE! I like Spongebob, but when people don't like Spongebob, I don't talk about it. I don't need to be accepted by strangers for my interests, because everyone is entitled to hate my interests if they like. They are not however entitled to be assholes to me based upon what my sexual preference is, which is none of their business anyways. 

First of all, I clap for this. Though I can understand why people are afraid to come out as a brony, coming out as a gay person is far worse. You cannot compare bronies to gays in terms of hate and other things. MLP is something I watch because I enjoy it and as it turns out other people do. I don't understand how people can compare being a brony to being gay. I have many gay friends who, without a few friends who would accept them would all be dead. When you came out as a brony were you bullied beyond belief for liking the show? Were you insulted and hurt physically and mentally? Doubt it. Here's something you should do, tell everyone you're gay, and stick with it for a month, see if being a brony openly is as hard as being gay openly. It it is, inform me.

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

Hi there, @@WhiteGuardian. Since we have a thread for discussing our "coming out of the brony closet" experiences, I merged yours with it. Just letting you know.

[WhiteGuardian 168]

Hi there, @@WhiteGuardian. Since we have a thread for discussing our "coming out of the brony closet" experiences, I merged yours with it. Just letting you know.

It's all good, thanks I appreciate it

[Remi 1,309]

I'd rather live with a sense of liberty while being insulted for being who I am, than living in fear from being my true self because of the thoughts of others.

[TurtlesForSale 128]

Only told my boyfriend so far and he was fine with it, he has even watched some episodes with me and he is starting to like it, my mum kinda guessed when she would walk by and see me watching an episode or when I sing mlp songs in the car.  She never mentions it but I know she is fine. I don't even think my dad knows yet.  Thinking of telling my friend nick next!

[Kyobona 75]

Only told my boyfriend so far and he was fine with it, he has even watched some episodes with me and he is starting to like it, my mum kinda guessed when she would walk by and see me watching an episode or when I sing mlp songs in the car.  She never mentions it but I know she is fine. I don't even think my dad knows yet.  Thinking of telling my friend nick next!

I'm guessing you're a girl? Which I don't understand why you should hide it... If you're a doode I understand a bit why to only tell people you know well, but you meet more bronies if you're open about it^^

[Ohnhai 69]

.... snip...

(quoted and snipped because I don't know how to do the @Somebody thing yet)

 

anyway  

 

 

 

I never said the torment dished out to Bronies was equivalent to that which plagues the gay community. I never would. It truly is on an utterly different scale and it absolutely sickens me that in this modern age people are abused in such a fashion simply because of who they are.  You will get no argument from me that of the two communities the Gays do have it far far far worse.  Hands down. No contest. And that is the point. It is not, and never should be a contest.

 

I don’t like to see anyone bullied or abused for whatever reason, be it their sex, their gender alignment, their religion, politics or simply being a part of a fan-group for a TV show. I don’t care if the abuse is a ‘little light name calling’ or ‘being stoned to death’. I will, where I can, stand up and decry such behavior strongly and loudly. (Next time the landlady of a pub I occasionally frequent says being gay is ‘unnatural’ in front of me she is going to get such a schooling!)

 

To be honest, I am quite disappointed in your response to the case of Michael Morones. To paraphrase: “So what? He’s just one kid who wasn't man enough to take, what we can’t be sure was anything more than, a little bit of teasing over something he chose to like!”. (I know that is a fairly brutal paraphrasing but that is what I read as the gist of your comments.)

 

Seriously? This comes perilously close to the rationalizations used by some to excuse gay-bashing. And so what if his torment wasn't as severe as that inflicted upon – for example –Jamie Nabozny?(1) It was prolonged and severe enough to make Michael attempt suicide, and that is all that matters in this case. Yes there have been many more children driven to these extremes because of being Gay, but just how does that invalidate Michael’s case? This really isn't a pissing contest. It really isn't!

 

Your argument is that being open about your love of MLP isn't ‘life changing’. I mentioned Michael to point out that it can be life changing, and with tragic results. I didn't mean life changing in the same way as being gay. I truly don’t see the two states as being equivalent. That would be ridiculous. One is a like for something and the other is a fundamental state of being. All I was trying to say was that the repercussions of those two, separate, un-alike things can sometimes be the same, and regardless of why it happened what caused it should never be tolerated.

 

And I agree with you, Bronies shouldn't have to ‘come out’ because there shouldn't be anything to ‘come out' from, and may I say the same holds true for being gay/bi/trans/ginger or whatever.

 

I will admit that I over sold the notion of the toy makers being the gender police. Mea culpa!

 

 

However, the point I was trying to make (badly) was that regardless that there are ‘boys’ toys’ and ‘girls’ toys’, and they are very much seen as such in the general public’s perception, the problem comes when personal preference crosses those boundaries ( If I could have one toy from the Toy Story films it would be Jessie). This shouldn't matter, it really shouldn't!

 

 

Why should it matter if young Billy puts down Action Man and picks up Barbie? They are both dolls with an impressive range of outfits and accessories; save for the fact Barbie has better cars! Or why does it matter if Joey puts down Thunder Cats for My Little Pony? Both feature colorful anthropomorphic talking animals with a tendency to spout lessons on morality. It shouldn't matter, but to oh so many people it unfortunately does. The ‘why’ comes down to the point I was clumsily trying to make.  It comes down to ‘Gender Expression’ and what is oft asserted as the ‘appropriate’ bounds for gender expression. 

 

The reason people get their knickers in a twist when a boy likes ponies is that this sits outside their narrow definition of what masculinity is. These same people can also get all too disapproving of girls who like toy guns or engineering sets. They see this as deviation from the comfortable ‘norm’ and thus it must be “wrong”. And this same mechanism is what drives anti-gay sentiment. Being gay is way, WAY outside the narrow definition of what a lot of people hold as ‘Manly’ and thus is makes them super-uncomfortable. They don’t understand this difference and so they fear it. If they fear it they will either hide from it or fight it, and as being gay is generally soooo far outside what they consider ‘right’, this fight/flight reaction is often deadly. And that fear of what they don’t understand is the root of homophobia (which is then bolstered by religious bullshit and other nasty darkness) But I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that.

 

 

A Boy playing with a girls toy, or being an open an enthusiastic fan of a ‘girls’ show isn't quite so far off the ranch as being gay is seen to be, but it’s far enough to unsettle those that are prone to that mind-set, and thus you get the teasing and the bullying. But not to the same extent as you would if you were gay, because being gay just freaks those people right out!

 

 

Because these reactions oft tend to get strongly polarized, (right/wrong, good/bad, straight/gay, masculine/feminine) the instant something wanders out of the ‘good,normal’ it becomes ‘bad,wrong’. This is why ‘gay’ is frequently seen as synonymous with 'bad' or 'wrong' in the minds of certain people. That is why ‘gay’ is often slung in the faces of Bronies. It’s not because being a Brony and being Gay are seen as comparable or even remotely equivalent but that ‘wrong’ and ‘gay’ are! In the minds of the tormentor, if being a Brony is ‘wrong’, it must be ‘gay’.

 

That is what I meant when I said the crap Bronies get, and the persecution that Gays suffer, are part of the same fight.   While they are NOT equivalent or comparable things, the issues involved stem from the same root, and that is this gut reaction against variance from the ‘perceived’ norm of gender roles and behavior. That is what needs to be countered and fought; as if you can sort that out then so many other problems either go away or are severely crippled.

 

But now to the issue of ‘Coming out’

 

 

I truly get why it chaps your feathers when Bronies use the term but I hope I've shown that I don’t think being Gay and being a Brony are comparable or equivalent, save for the fact I believe the problems both face come from the same underlying root cause. I’m reasonably confident that most Bronies don’t equate being Gay and being a Brony.

 

 

You seem happy with Atheists using the term because you recognize the very real dangers in declaring your lack of belief in deities in a lot of places in the world. (including vast chunks of America) Yet this is a belief issue, a choice issue. Unlike being Gay, your religious stance is not built in; it’s a choice, but a choice that comes with real dangers. (But let’s not open that can of worms right now)

 

When you say that you like Spongebob and feel no need to shout about that, this is because Spongebob, while being a cartoon it is seen as either a boys’ cartoon or gender neutral (with a slant towards the boys) so, because of what I said above, there is no issue with liking SB.  It’s fine for boys, teens, young adults, and adult males to enjoy it because, while you might be seen as being a little ‘old for cartoons’, SB doesn't ring any of the 'gender norm' alarm bells the way MLP does. Or for that matter like Powerpuff Girls did. Despite there being many male fans of PPG out there (I am one,) that fandom didn't become a community in the same way or the same extent that the Brony community did. The male PPG fan-base never quite broke cover in the same way.

 

Bronies wouldn't care if people simply didn't like MLP. It wouldn't be an issue. Horses Ponies for courses and all that. We might try evangelizing the show but that would be about it.  No! The issue is not that they don’t like MLP, It’s that they don’t like us because we do like MLP. That is the difference. Same as the fact that it is not that homophobic men don’t fancy men, it’s that they don’t like men who fancy men because they fancy men! Heck it wouldn't be an issue if they hated MLP. Again that is not the issue. The issue is that they hate Bronies because we like MLP.

 

 

You say that people are not entitled to be assholes to you because of your sexual preference which is, rightly, none of their business. I too believe this. No one has a right to abuse you because of your sexual preference. They have every right to hold the personal belief that being gay is wrong (misguided though that may be) but to abuse you because of that belief? Not a chance.

 

Therefore do you not hold that people are not entitled to be assholes to me because of my viewing preferences, which is, rightly, none of their business? They have every right to hold the opinion (misguided though it maybe) that MLP sucks or that it’s ‘just for girls’ but not to abuse me because of that belief?

 

Or do you want to assert that because my viewing preference isn't so demonstrably hard coded by my genes as my sexual preference is that means that fair game to receive abuse (however mild or serious) for my viewing preferences?

 

 

Some Bronies ARE picked on, however mild or serious that bullying may be, because they like a show that goes against what certain people perceive to be against 'gender norms'. Though this abuse pales into insignificance when compared to the shit heaped upon the LGBT community, that doesn't mean the abuse isn't real or extremely hurtful to the victim, and can lead to very serious repercussions. Thankfully however, these incidences are very few and far between.

 

 While ‘Coming out is most associated with the LGBT community, it has developed a meaning that is self-contained and standalone. It is roughly:  Wherever the person ‘coming out’ holds a preference (usually sexual) or position (usually religious) that they have kept hidden from public view for fear or concern of repercussions (mild or serious) from people (usually a majority) that hold more ‘mainstream’ preferences or positions and chooses to freely and publicly disclose that position or preference despite (and in defiance of) the associated risks.

 

While still strongly associated with the LGBT community, 'coming out'  is no longer confined to that community.  

 

I’m not likely to be beaten up because I’m a Brony. I’m a reasonably strong adult and I will give as good as I get if anyone tries it. At most I’m likely to receive mild teasing, or inappropriate secret Santa gifts (A certain plushy comes to mind) and I can deal with that too.

 

I kept my Bronyism quiet because I didn't want the hassle or embarrassment. I didn't want the embarrassment because on a small level I felt mildly ashamed that I had fallen so completely for a girls show. See? The gender alarms work in everyone’s head’s, because most of us have been soaking in those gender norms since birth to some greater or lesser degree.

 

What changed my stance was Michael’s story.  Here was a kid who did nothing wrong and was harried because he liked MLP. The bullying got so bad he tried to kill himself.  When I wrote about this on my Facebook page I stated that I was a fan of MLP too (just daring people to give me grief over that fact).

 

For me this was a 'Coming Out', and is a coming out of defiance and solidarity with every other Brony who risks being bullied and accused of deviance or sick perversions (“Old men watching a ‘girls show’? There has got to be something sick and twisted going on there, right?”) While not comparable to the trials of being gay or coming out as an atheist (been there done that),  coming out as a Brony is a stance against the prejudice and ignorance set against us not because of what we like but because we like it.

 

If after all that you still find me saying that I 'outed myself as a Brony' offensive or believe that it damages the LGBT cause, then there is little more I can say or do.

 

yours

 

Stephen.

 

 

 

(1)  “For four years Jamie Nabozny was subjected to relentless antigay verbal and physical abuse by fellow students at his public high school in Ashland, Wisconsin. Students urinated on him, pretended to rape him during class and when they found him alone kicked him so many times in the stomach that he required surgery. Although they knew of the abuse, school officials said at one point that Nabozny should expect it if he’s gay. Nabozny attempted suicide several times…”

http://www.lambdalegal.org/in-court/cases/nabozny-v-podlesny

[SomariFeyWright 776]

Parents before: "... That's another one to add to the list."

Parents after: "Here, have some pony things. Also, this other fandom stuff you asked for."

 

I'm pretty sure my family gave up on me long before I became a brony. They don't understand me and my fandoms... they never will. But they'd never insult me or talk down to me for it, and really, that's all that matters to me.

 

As for my friends... Well, one IS a brony in love with Fluttershy, one's a brony (pegasister) who enjoys all the ponies, two are newly-reformed bronies themselves, one just... deals with it, and one just respects the fandom and me from afar.

 

I've never had anybody close to me give me a hard time for enjoying the show, and I think that shows just how glad I should be to have such great people around me.

[Guest]

 

 

To be honest, I am quite disappointed in your response to the case of Michael Morones. To paraphrase: “So what? He’s just one kid who wasn't man enough to take, what we can’t be sure was anything more than, a little bit of teasing over something he chose to like!”. (I know that is a fairly brutal paraphrasing but that is what I read as the gist of your comments.)

 

That is not what I was implying at all. I was saying that it's sad that one person gets bullied like this and bronies use ONE person as an icon to try and prove they get "bullied" so much, when we have one kid. Does it suck? Absolutely, but it's sad that gay kids are doing this every day and most bronies won't  bat an eye at that.

 

 

 

Seriously? This comes perilously close to the rationalizations used by some to excuse gay-bashing. And so what if his torment wasn't as severe as that inflicted upon – for example –Jamie Nabozny?(1) It was prolonged and severe enough to make Michael attempt suicide, and that is all that matters in this case. Yes there have been many more children driven to these extremes because of being Gay, but just how does that invalidate Michael’s case? This really isn't a pissing contest. It really isn't!

 

 

I never said that. I am merely saying that you are using an instance of one kid to act like it's rampant, when it's not as rampant.

 

 

 

Your argument is that being open about your love of MLP isn't ‘life changing’. I mentioned Michael to point out that it can be life changing, and with tragic results.

 

But according to the reports the kids were making fun of him for being gay because they thought being a brony was gay... So it was really not a problem with being a brony it's people's stigma against gay kids...

 

 

 

I truly get why it chaps your feathers when Bronies use the term but I hope I've shown that I don’t think being Gay and being a Brony are comparable or equivalent,

 

Yet tons of other bronies seem to not think how you do. I have blatantly seen bronies compare their hardships to those of gays. That is my problem.

 

 

 

When you say that you like Spongebob and feel no need to shout about that, this is because Spongebob, while being a cartoon it is seen as either a boys’ cartoon or gender neutral (with a slant towards the boys) so, because of what I said above, there is no issue with liking SB.

 

Yet it is seen as "weird" for adults to like it. That's my point.

 

 

 

Or do you want to assert that because my viewing preference isn't so demonstrably hard coded by my genes as my sexual preference is that means that fair game to receive abuse (however mild or serious) for my viewing preferences?

 

Abuse? No. Criticism, yes. Your choices are free to criticize but not who you are.

 

 

 

Here was a kid who did nothing wrong and was harried because he liked MLP.

 

He was bullied because kids thought he was gay... :I 

[Scribblegroove 565]

My reaction to all of this:

 

Tl;Dr...

 

Seriously guys, sometimes it is easier to not take things very seriously. My friends know I am a brony, my parents know I am a brony, my brother knows, and I bet most of my class knows... And no one cares. These situations are always individual in every different environment, and I personally believe that discussing about 'coming out' across the world by people or about people who are in completely different situations is pointless. Michael's environment is completely differen from the environment of some other kid who comes out to be gay. What's the point guys :c whats the point...

[Cstriker 737]

This is fun topic. Well I turned 30 when I became a brony so I don't live with my parents. I also have 3 kids and I am married. I just so happens that my parents did learn I was a brony.

 

So I was visiting my family and inlaws in Washington (I live in Minnesota currently), my son recieved some MLP: CCG packs. I new the game was being released but I had forgotten that it was coming out in Dec and when he got the packs I gushed! Looked around and my Sister-in-law was grinning and I was blushing, a bit embarresed. I just squared my shoulders, held my head high and pronounced "I am a brony. Ponies are baller!" (Exact words). That was in front of my inlaws.

 

When I visited my parents, one of neices had just gotten into the show (shes 16) and when she found out I was a brony, we both packed up in the car and went and bought starter decks for the CCG. My dad laughed, my eldest brother laughed, but no one really cared. My niece was excited to just be connecting with me and Ponies was the way.

[WhiteGuardian 168]

This is fun topic. Well I turned 30 when I became a brony so I don't live with my parents. I also have 3 kids and I am married. I just so happens that my parents did learn I was a brony.

 

So I was visiting my family and inlaws in Washington (I live in Minnesota currently), my son recieved some MLP: CCG packs. I new the game was being released but I had forgotten that it was coming out in Dec and when he got the packs I gushed! Looked around and my Sister-in-law was grinning and I was blushing, a bit embarresed. I just squared my shoulders, held my head high and pronounced "I am a brony. Ponies are baller!" (Exact words). That was in front of my inlaws.

 

When I visited my parents, one of neices had just gotten into the show (shes 16) and when she found out I was a brony, we both packed up in the car and went and bought starter decks for the CCG. My dad laughed, my eldest brother laughed, but no one really cared. My niece was excited to just be connecting with me and Ponies was the way.

Thats like the most awesome story I have ever heard.

I just remembered a cool and funny story from my mission. Me and my "creator" had been paired together for about a month now. We were gathered with the rest of our zone doing a service project and painting a giant fence in a public park. We went by the title of elder, or if you were female, it was sister respectively. There were two sisters in ourzone at the time. Anyway, we collectively decided to break for lunch, and we decided to go to cici's pizza. So I hsad just finished washing the paintoff my hands, and my companion comes rushing up to me and says "Bird's in the herd." Now there was an elderwho was new to our zone, andhis namewas elder bird. We had spent some time getting to know him and we invited him to ride with us in our car. So I have the keys and I'm getting ready to start the ar, and my companionruns up, totally geeking out, and says "bird's in the herd." Well my brain wwasn't thinking too well, and I thought that he was referring to the fact that Bird was travelling with us in our group to go get lunch. I say"Wat?" And he repeats himself. I'm still confused until he says "yeah he brohoofed me." Then the lightbulb goes on and I start geeking out. I rush up to Birdwho has just finished washing his hands and I extend my hand for a handshake and I ask "are you 20% cooler?" He shakes my hand and looks confused for a moment before excitedly answering yes. We all geeked out hard core. Hang tight, there is a part two.....

So part two. So in the car we were joined by Bird's companion, Wixom, and another elder, tyger. We are driving to lunch and me, my companion, and Bird are all geeking out and the other two have no idea what's going on. Until I use the famous "worst possible thing" rarity quote and Wixom is like "oh its my little pony stuff"lol we all kind of froze in trepidation. Turns out Wixom use to watch the show with his sisters, but he refused to be a brony, but he was cool with it. And Tyger though it was weird but he was cool with it to. So we kind of had our own little herd going on. well we finally get to lunch and we sit down and we are eating. I look at the tv on the wall behind us and I practically choke. There is a commecial for the new PP and RD plushies at build a bear. I make a weird sound and clap my hand over my mouth and point to the tv and Bird turns around and geeks out a little but composes himself better than I did, while beside me my companion just goes full geek mode and his jaw drops and he stares google eyed at the tv while making this strange gasping sound. Then I look past him at the next table and the sisters are laughing at us and giving us weird looks, and the twelve or so other elders are all smiling and trying to get a better look of what's going on. Tyger just puts his head down and me and the rest of the herd just bust up laughing hysterically. We never really told anyone elsein the zone about our obsession, although they probably guessed, but they never brought it up.

[AppleGearRising 526]

Oh for the love of...

 

Will people please STOP comparing Bronyism to homosexuality and religion? Honestly, the only thing linking them is that, for one reason or other, they all carry some sort of stigma. Not a very well-founded way of saying that they're even remotely similar :okiedokielokie:

 

And for those of you saying that any one of them is more or less significant than the other; who are you to preach that sort of nonsense? Unless you're a gay christian brony (just as an example, i'm not trying to target gays or christians specifically) then how can you stand to be the voice of reason? How can you claim to stand for everyone when you don't even know them yourselves? How do YOU know how deeply any one of those factors has impacted the lives of any one other person? Think about that.

[Guest]

Oh for the love of...

 

Will people please STOP comparing Bronyism to homosexuality and religion? Honestly, the only thing linking them is that, for one reason or other, they all carry some sort of stigma. Not a very well-founded way of saying that they're even remotely similar :okiedokielokie:

 

And for those of you saying that any one of them is more or less significant than the other; who are you to preach that sort of nonsense? Unless you're a gay christian brony (just as an example, i'm not trying to target gays or christians specifically) then how can you stand to be the voice of reason? How can you claim to stand for everyone when you don't even know them yourselves? How do YOU know how deeply any one of those factors has impacted the lives of any one other person? Think about that.

If liking a cartoon has impacted your life more than your sexuality or religion then I am concerned for you.