Hermaphroditus and LGBTQ issues

[arete]

Hermaphroditus is an honorable God in greek paganism. Wikipedia has info on him https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermaphroditus. He is the third gender God. Since we are created in gods' image, belonging to the third sex is absolutely normal. I fully support LGBTQ rights, because of God Hermaphroditus. In my opinion, homosexuality should be seen as something perfectly normal and shouldn't be discriminated at all. And in my opinion, there shouldn't be a ''coming out of the closet''. Do heterosexuals need to come out of the closet? What is your opinion on homosexuality as being absolutely normal?

[SunflowerP]

Hermaphroditus is an honorable God in greek paganism. Wikipedia has info on him https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermaphroditus. He is the third gender God. Since we are created in gods' image, belonging to the third sex is absolutely normal. I fully support LGBTQ rights, because of God Hermaphroditus. In my opinion, homosexuality should be seen as something perfectly normal and shouldn't be discriminated at all. And in my opinion, there shouldn't be a ''coming out of the closet''. Do heterosexuals need to come out of the closet? What is your opinion on homosexuality as being absolutely normal?

Arete,

The discussion you're inviting (via the questions you ask) is not a discussion about deities or mythology, but a discussion about opinions on LGBTQI issues; I have moved it accordingly.

Sunflower
TC Forum Staff

[Anon100]

Hermaphroditus is an honorable God in greek paganism. Wikipedia has info on him https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermaphroditus. He is the third gender God. Since we are created in gods' image, belonging to the third sex is absolutely normal. I fully support LGBTQ rights, because of God Hermaphroditus. In my opinion, homosexuality should be seen as something perfectly normal and shouldn't be discriminated at all. And in my opinion, there shouldn't be a ''coming out of the closet''. Do heterosexuals need to come out of the closet? What is your opinion on homosexuality as being absolutely normal?

I always think back to the book version of Star Trek:The Voyage Home when I think about discrimination issues. To completely mess up summerising from memory -
 Kirk, McCoy and the woman from the present ( whos name I forget - sorry ) are trying to sneak past some guards to rescue Checkov from a hospital. They've disguised themselves as doctors with the woman on the guerney as a patient and she turns to Kirk and asks, "Why do I have to be the patient?". The writer then puts - 'It was the look of bafflement Kirk had to this question, more than any of the wonderful things Kirk had said about the it that made her have hope for the future.'

In short I don't worry about gender or orientation for the most part when dealing with people ( Although, yes, I am aware that I am attracted to someone at times.., but there's noticing and acting and, frankly, I have the most wonderful woman for me in my life already so..     ).
The gender of a deity shouldn't in my mind, be the reason for gender acceptance to my mind though. No offence meant.

[EclecticWheel]

I fully support LGBTQ rights, because of God Hermaphroditus. In my opinion, homosexuality should be seen as something perfectly normal and shouldn't be discriminated at all. And in my opinion, there shouldn't be a ''coming out of the closet''.

There are a few points I would make.

Those with intersexed or hermaphroditic bodies do help to shed some light on how we might think or rethink about the absolute nature of gender categories.

Some concerns are had in common by some intersexed and gay people.  Intersexed persons who desire to marry may be categorized by society as the same gender as hir partner regardless of how the intersexed individual concerned identifies, so recognition of same sex marriage is good for both gays and intersexed who wish to marry.

These sorts of concerns can overlap between gay and trans people as well.  Both gay and trans people defy gender norms in some way at least as I reckon them in my society.  Even when we're sexually continent, we still get oppressed sometimes.

But gay, trans, intersexed, and other kinds of people are also distinct and different in how we experience oppression and forms of our respective cultures and identities.

That's how I see these matters now, and there are many other things, I am sure, that could be said.

When evaluating the morality of an act, I am looking for signs of unnecessary harm.  If that harm remains elusive, mysterious, and undemonstrable, then I begin to question dominant social and theological assumptions that insist that homoerotic relations are wrong, sinful, or harmful.

No one thinks anything of walking on one's hands or breathing helium a short time, but bring sex and genital activity into it, and there is bound to be someone imposing their own idea of what is "natural" or what ambiguous scriptures said or what-have-you.

What concerns me about the notion that gay people are intrinsically disordered and furthermore incapable of proper relationships to men and women both, is the astounding lack of evidence for this theory in my experienced life.

In my view, if I am to be holy and experience sanctity, this will be as a whole person, and I do identify among other things, as gay, and this does in fact affect how I relate to male and female friends and acquaintances.

If anything, I seem to relate better to women than many straight men.  The women in my life feel safe with me and care about me.  I endeavor to never consciously or unconsciously denigrate them, not even in private, and I defend women when I hear gay or straight men say terrible things about them or their bodies.

Being gay absolutely has something to do with who I am, how I perceive my world, and how I relate to Christ and neighbor, and I have no justification for the idea that somehow this is disordered.  We should rather ask, at least if we are Christians, what a gay person would look like if (s)he is holy or saintly.

I do support the flourishing of people in general, but with a special concern for the vulnerable.  I would be foolish if I wasn't concerned.  I am one of those vulnerable people in society.

I find talk of rights complicated, not that I don't support rights, but in brief, yes, I support LGBTQ rights and goods, and also human and non-human rights.

Regarding coming out, this is a personal decision.  Because new people are continually coming into my life, I am never finished coming out, and if I don't think my sexual orientation is relevant, and often in conversation it isn't, I am under no obligation to mention it to anyone.

[arete]

The gender of a deity shouldn't in my mind, be the reason for gender acceptance to my mind though. No offence meant.

Isn't it nice to know there is a deity to back people up?

[Anon100]

Isn't it nice to know there is a deity to back people up?

Oh, agreed and I'm quite happy with Hermaphroditus being who they are. I would also imagine that it's a great comfort for some people which I am glad of.

I admit I was being a bit finicky with my original response as what you said read ( to me ) as the existence of such a god was required to be able to accept LGBTQ. And also had room to be seen that that deity was there specifically for that community.. Again I admit that was my reading it in a cynical mood.
Such a deity existing is nice and good but even if they didn't or we weren't aware of them such acceptance should exist. Also I would say that deities seem to pick their followers ( and vice versa ) for many reasons and I can imagine Hermaphroditus having followers who are hetrosexual as well as ones who aren't. I've also seen enough online to know that other deities are quite happy ( and prepared ) to back up their followers in the LGBTQ community. 
I realise that's not what you meant but wanted to clarify my feelings on the subject.

[Darkhawk]

Also I would say that deities seem to pick their followers ( and vice versa ) for many reasons and I can imagine Hermaphroditus having followers who are hetrosexual as well as ones who aren't.

At least one of the Hermaphroditus origin stories is of a heterosexual divine fusion, after all.  As a result, I don't personally find them terribly queer, especially when Dionysos is right there.