Solved: LGBTQIA people. Is there a need for a sub-forum?

[El Hefe 612]

Okay… First, I know I'm new here. Second, I'm genuinely curious. And third, I read the entire 18-page thread of the "LGBTQ Divers?" question. As a openly gay, married man I would love to have a place to connect with other gay men, women, and like-minded individuals to discuss dive travel opportunities, to find dive buddies without having to worry about whether or not they might have a problem with me, and to feel comfortable talking about things that might impact us.


If possible, I'd like to have a board created under Non-Geographic Clubs called:


LGBTQIA Divers and Their Friends


I have spent the past week-and-a-half searching the internet (and this board) for such clubs, and I was surprised how lacking they were. It's been six years since the original question was posted in the thread referenced above. I know if I'm interested, that there are probably many others who would be too, but they may just be afraid to ask. Many of the responses in the thread above were not very understanding of what it is like living as an LGBTQIA individual in a predominantly heteronormative global society. Having such a space is not about excluding anyone, it's about having space where we don't have to worry about being who we are and can focus on what we love - diving (among many other things).


Thanks!

 

[Wookie]

I belong to the straight white male subgroup. I belong to the captain and engineer subgroups. I belong to the diver, wreck diver, and Trimix diver subgroups. I emphatically do not belong to the sidemoumt, DIR, and tech diver subgroups. See, I identify as a captain, engineer, diver, and straight white male. My subgroups are all priveledged, and I'm proud to be a member. Who am I to say someone else's chosen identities are wrong, any more than my identify as a Trimix diver but not a tech diver is wrong?

This thread is a dead horse.

 

[RainPilot]

Ok, let me have a go at explaining my thoughts on this....

SB is not just a forum about scuba. It is a community who have found each other through a shared passion, but many remain even though their involvement is only tangentially scuba related. Exhibit A, the MOF/NMOF threads and the Pub. I would argue that a large percentage of daily posts on the board are only very remotely scuba based.

Lets take the Cozumel thread as an example. In there is a STICKY about taxi fares for crying out loud. Is it scuba related? Hell no. Does it need to be in a forum of its own? Well, where else would you put it so that those who need that sort of info can find it but it doesn't need to clog other threads for those unaffected by the subject matter? A large chunk of the mods job is finding the correct forum for posts where the OP have given up and put it where they think it should go.

Should the taxi thread even be on this Board? Surely people who are affected by this issue have their own boards? Like a Mexico Travel forum or Taxi Rider Anonymous? Surely I don't need to have my board sullied by questions about which tequila is the smoothest in Coz, since I don't care about tequila or Cozumel and don't care who drinks what?

Like I have said before, this is my family. Of course when you want to talk about something you care about, there should be a place to talk to people you care about. If keeping the specific issues that are only of interest to a handful of members in a spot here it can be easily viewed and also easily ignored, why not? This subforum is not about exclusion, LGBTQIA members already post everywhere and anywhere on the Board and will continue to do so. this is about filing and organisation more than anything else.


Lastly, we have at any one time nearly 10x more Google Guests on the site than members. A large portion of the people getting benefit from SB are not members, they find us to answer a question and then go live their lives. For these people, being able to find the stuff they care about easily is very valuable and a large part of why so many people use us. Have a thought for them too.

PS I have no issue with the Coz folks, just making a point.

 

[RayfromTX]

Ok, let me have a go at explaining my thoughts on this....

SB is not just a forum about scuba. It is a community who have found each other through a shared passion, but many remain even though their involvement is only tangentially scuba related. Exhibit A, the MOF/NMOF threads and the Pub. I would argue that a large percentage of daily posts on the board are only very remotely scuba based.

Lets take the Cozumel thread as an example. In there is a STICKY about taxi fares for crying out loud. Is it scuba related? Hell no. Does it need to be in a forum of its own? Well, where else would you put it so that those who need that sort of info can find it but it doesn't need to clog other threads for those unaffected by the subject matter? A large chunk of the mods job is finding the correct forum for posts where the OP have given up and put it where they think it should go.

Should the taxi thread even be on this Board? Surely people who are affected by this issue have their own boards? Like a Mexico Travel forum or Taxi Rider Anonymous? Surely I don't need to have my board sullied by questions about which tequila is the smoothest in Coz, since I don't care about tequila or Cozumel and don't care who drinks what?

Like I have said before, this is my family. Of course when you want to talk about something you care about, there should be a place to talk to people you care about. If keeping the specific issues that are only of interest to a handful of members in a spot here it can be easily viewed and also easily ignored, why not? This subforum is not about exclusion, LGBTQIA members already post everywhere and anywhere on the Board and will continue to do so. this is about filing and organisation more than anything else.


Lastly, we have at any one time nearly 10x more Google Guests on the site than members. A large portion of the people getting benefit from SB are not members, they find us to answer a question and then go live their lives. For these people, being able to find the stuff they care about easily is very valuable and a large part of why so many people use us. Have a thought for them too.

PS I have no issue with the Coz folks, just making a point.

MIC DROP!

 

[Storker]

For me, it's pretty simple. Some people have issues I don't see. Does that mean that their issues don't exist? Heck, no. Am I competent to tell them that their issues don't exist? Heck, no.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

This thread is a dead horse.

And smells like a dead horse too.

 

[diver0008]

I belong to the straight white male subgroup. I belong to the captain and engineer subgroups. I belong to the diver, wreck diver, and Trimix diver subgroups. I emphatically do not belong to the sidemoumt, DIR, and tech diver subgroups. See, I identify as a captain, engineer, diver, and straight white male. My subgroups are all priveledged, and I'm proud to be a member. Who am I to say someone else's chosen identities are wrong, any more than my identify as a Trimix diver but not a tech diver is wrong?

This thread is a dead horse.

(picks up dead mic, turns it on...)

I am an individual human being. I belong to no subgroups.

(turns off mic, puts it back down)

 

[Storker]

I belong to no subgroups.

You think...

 

[Ana]

ok so where is the link to this sub-forum already? has it been created yet/
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how about now?

 

[El Hefe 612]

ok so where is the link to this sub-forum already? has it been created yet

They're working on it. But it's happening.

 

[MichaelMc]

ok so where is the link to this sub-forum already? has it been created yet/
.
.
.
.
how about now?

This is scuba, no breath holding allowed.

It's a stealth launch, so all the lookie loos got bored and move on. I have no knowledge of that, but it's not a bad idea.