Drugs and Being Gay

fresnopup

Gay people, by virtue of the uniqueness of the homosexual life experience have a seemingly natural proclivity for not just drug use but also a multitude of other traits, tendencies and abilities that have potential to be negative or positive. Once we learn this we will be empowered dramatically.
We, as a group within our species, are in the infancy of our identity!

jagged

cos we're forced to lol

it seems the gay world comes to life over here in the uk after pub closing times
trying to stay up n active till closing time without some kind of stimulant i would image to be very difficult if not close to impossible
especially if it's night after night
i don't do drugs but i sometimes take the herbal substitutes
they certainly help keep me awake n alive through the night

but is it just a gay thing or a night club thing in general ?

raphjd

but is it just a gay thing or a night club thing in general ?

It must be a nightclub thing because none of our friends use drugs, but we aren't nightclubbers.

DAB

98%? Where are the figures on that? ???

Or did they count caffeine and alcohol as drugs?

I don't think this is representative of homosexual men, at all.

cumeaternc

[off-topic]DAB what a naughty avatar you have. >:D Where did you get it?[/off-topic]

DAB

I can't remember really, I think it was when I was trying to find back this hxxp://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QBN0qst0p7o/R-Aw8JWgsQI/AAAAAAAAA3k/GEXT3FC2epM/s1600/sataninreligion.jpg picture, looking for 'Satan in Religion'. I'm using it on multiple forums.

I regret not knowing who the artist is (the downside to all this information spreading on the Internet), I would have praised him (or her) for it everywhere I go.

But yours ain't so bad either. Patrick Fillion?

cumeaternc edit: disabled live link

cumeaternc

@DAB:

… Patrick Fillion?

Indeed it is. ;D

skinkatlarge

Gay bars and clubs, and the majority subset of gays that frequent them, are what a lot of people think of when they talk about "gay life" or "gay culture". I know they were my only points of access for years, and I don't think I'm in the minority there. That's probably a big factor in all the drug and alcohol use, you think?

In my experience (without looking for studies), gays also tend to have more stress and internal conflicts, hence more need for escapism.

I think another factor is the fact that every guy who identifies as gay has by definition faced down one of the biggest taboos there is (in most cultures). We know from personal experience that "what everyone knows" is horse crap, and one of the most empowering points in all of our lives (coming out) came from, essentially, telling society to fuck off and doing our own thing. I believe that, having done that, we're a lot more open to examining other taboos - extreme forms of kinky sex, for a prominent example; sexual chastity in relationships… I'm sure you can think of others. For me, it was a very tiny step to indulging my curiosity about mind-altering substances. I guess I'm saying that, yes, being gay is a gateway drug. ;D

everis

I don't see anything wrong with some drugs. A few of them have few to no negative side effects. It's just the bad ones that I refuse to go near such as cocaine, heroin, etc.

cumeaternc

@everis:

I don't see anything wrong with some drugs. A few of them have few to no negative side effects. It's just the bad ones that I refuse to go near such as cocaine, heroin, etc.

This is not a judgement at all but I am curious…what are the "good drugs"?

DAB

I guess caffeine isn't so bad, the other drugs… I don't know. I've seen people in some really bad trips over just a joint or space-cake - of course in combination with an abundance of alcohol, but nonetheless, far worse off than when they had just been really drunk. You really learn to treat them like small children in such states, because there is no reasoning possible on any sophisticated level. Comforting them and securing their vitals is all we can do while waiting for the ambulance.

So I'm a bit sceptical about these 'good drugs'.

Whiskers

@Spintendo:

A drug is any substance other than food or water that, when ingested, alters the physiological structure of the body. By this definition, alcohol is a drug.

Is it right and moral that the one drug that kills more people every day (gay and straight) than any other substance, is perfectly legal to obtain?

Or is your question directed towards an understanding of what biological and evolutionary benefits could possibly be gained from the use of chemical substances–enough to justify the altering of one's emotions--concomitant with the risk of addiction that frequently accompanies so many of these endeavors?

The questions raised by your comment are too numerous to address here. Suffice it to say that it would be a mistake to label one segment of society as being more prone to addiction than any other. On that point, if it is gay people who experience drug use more often, I would venture to guess that the reason is perhaps the hatred, suspicion, and outright hostility towards an outcast society of people whom, after being persecuted for centuries around the globe and living a life without a deserved dignity, must share the blame for making uninformed choices to use these mood-altering substances.

Strictly speaking, Alcohol is not the cause of those deaths directly. To be precise, the reason for many Alcohol related deaths is a person's lack of awareness of their limits. Alcohol when consumed in reasonable quantities can be perfectly safe (generally speaking, of course there are those who can become drunk very easily) and many find it enjoyable to drink, only when one consumes too much so that it affects their concentration, motor control and cognitive functions does it become dangerous. Thus, the problem is people consuming too much drink, not that it is by itself dangerous.

Regarding the link between the LGBT community and drug use, this is the best article I could find. hxxp://www.lgf.org.uk/drugs/

anusanus

because it is good!

hw597

Honestly can people stop nitpicking. The "98% comment" is obvious hyperbole.
the fact remains that (speaking for London) drugs are used a lot in gay culture. Hell just log into grindr and that lets you know how comfortable people have become with it.
"PnP BB?"
"420?"
the strangely measured - "What are you into?"
And by drugs I obviously mean the mind altering type. alcohol, weed, LSD, Meth etc.