TalkBoard Elections/08 - Question 17: the GLBT forum

submitted by itsaboutthejourney
I'd like for each candidate to comment on the GLBT forum, do they support it? Any changes they'd like to make? Have they visited it?

Again a very popular forum that is demanded by many FTers !

Even though I'm just a browser on GLBT, I found lots of great spots (especially cool bars) due to recommendations on the forum. And a drink always tastes the same, gay or not ;)

I would probably include a little partition for Hotspots & Events.

Good forum with many posts ^

submitted by itsaboutthejourney
I'd like for each candidate to comment on the GLBT forum, do they support it? Any changes they'd like to make? Have they visited it?

I'm sure that I've never visited at least half the forums on FT, and GLBT is in that half.

It's for the participants in a forum to decide whether an existing forum is worthwhile and to vote with their participation or non-participation. Nobody is going to propose eliminating a forum that's serving members well and for which there is no logical alternate forum. I certainly wouldn't support elimination of a forum under those circumstances. Taking focused common-interest content and scattering it all over FT would be silly.

If forum participants come to the TB with a proposal to change something, and if the change has broad support, I'll consider that on the same basis as any other forum change.

Was this a rhetorical question, or does someone actually have a proposal in mind to change things?

To answer the question, I have been to the GLBT Forum approximately four or five times, including once tonight.

I'm torn on the bigger question.

In one sense, I wonder why we're still a society that feels that gay or lesbian travel is "special interest." Despite the disappointing CA Prop 8 vote, I think great strides have been made in society over the past couple decades and think that, on its face, the need to deem people who either happen to be gay or lesbian and their travel topics need to be "special interest" is disappointing.

On the other hand, if the GLBT Forum is one that makes the participants happy and feel it makes FlyerTalk more accommodating, then I'm all for it.

All that said, if the forum is there in the interest of just "keeping them (gay and lesbian people) out of sight," then I'm all against it.

Personally, I would not be offended at all if I were to go to a geographical-based forum and someone asked for the location of a good gay bar.

Again, I have only been to the forum only a handful of times. As I have mentioned in other answers to other questions, I would like to get the feedback of regular participants of the forum before, as a TalkBoard member, making an informed decision about that specific forum.

Hope that answers your questions.

While I don't visit the GBLT forum, I do know that it is quite popular and see no reason to make any changes to it.

family

I honestly don't care about the GLBT forum either way. If it exists and its regular users are happy and it doesn't detract from the rest of the community by its existence, by all means it has my support. I don't think I have ever posted there and doubt I'd have much to contribute anyway.

When I think of my many friends on FT, I think that to not have the GLBT forum would be an absolute disgrace. Have I ever visited it? I could not keep track of at least 50% of the people I call friends on FT if I did not, so yes I do. Have it bookmarked in fact.

It only takes but few minutes of browsing this forum to see how clearly organized the threads are and how anybody seeking information from them would have very little trouble doing so.

I see threads about legal issues, safety when traveling issues, location specific (country and city level) questions with regard to the welcome one might receive there, Community style yet more specifically targeted threads about gatherings, etc., etc., etc.

Can anybody impartially look at this forum and say it has no place or relevance to the people of FT? I think it is an excellent example of creating a forum that has many, many possible and useful threads created within it. And this is and would be my basic yardstick for the creation of a new forum or analysis of the worth of existing ones.

Well this is a very interesting question to me. I was one of the driving forces to create this forum back in 2001-02 and have been a moderator there for many many years since 2003 or so. So of course I visit it regularly (several times a day).

The GLBT forum has served Flyertalk very well. Over the years, numerous "new" Flyertalkers have joined and made their first posts in the GLBT forum with many continuing on to become active members in other forums. The forum has also served to provide a "safe centralized" place for members to discuss GLBT Travel topics.

There had been some criticism from members that the topics allowed were too strict. However, based on a conversation with Randy last year, we have agreed to be a little bit more lenient in allowing posts / threads that would have been moved immediately to OMNI or Destination Forums. This has been well received. However, GLBT Forum is part of the overall Flyertalk Family and has to function that way.

So I don't see need for any big change to this forum but of course am willing to listen to suggestions.

With as diverse a community as FT is, I couldn't see FT without such a forum. I hadn't visited the forum until this question was posted. I was glad to see the volume of posts the forum sees. Significantly more traffic than my first moderator job, OCC!

With as diverse a community as FT is, I couldn't see FT without such a forum.


I visit GLBT on a regular basis and although I have never been able to make a Gayla I have been to other smaller do's. I think it is one of the best organized forums on FT and I'm happy it's there.

Well yet another question about a specific forum, how many forums are left in FT just now? Can we just post a list of them all and put YES/NO/DONT know beside them all? Might save some time...hmmmmmm

Ok as for the GLBT forum, no I have not visited it, will I visit it? Doubt it very much, the reason? It does not interest me with regards my travel plans etc, a bit the same as me visiting the Delta Sky Miles forum, I don't collect Skymiles so doubt if I will ever visit that forum.

Does it have a place in FT, yes it does just like a lot of the other forums. As others have stated in answers to this question and other questions, FT is a diverse community.

With as diverse a community as FT is, I couldn't see FT without such a forum.

Ditto. I don't see any issue or any risk that this board would be changed or shuttered, so I'm at a bit of a loss about the OP's question.

Was this a rhetorical question, or does someone actually have a proposal in mind to change things?

Ditto. I don't see any issue or any risk that this board would be changed or shuttered, so I'm at a bit of a loss about the OP's question.

I guess it was a rhetorical question. But where would we be without rhetorical questions?

:D

I guess it was a rhetorical question. But where would we be without rhetorical questions?

:D

Not sure on the answer but if you come back next week then I might have one for you.........:D

I've visited it & have exactly one post in it (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=508568). As for it being on FT - I support it being on FT and have used it as a resource a couple of times for two of my old roommates who needed some relevant travel info.

Sadly, society has not yet evolved to the point where a person's sexual orientation is considered just another "feature," like hair color or eye color. GLBT travelers must deal with unique and sometimes difficult issues when they travel that heterosexuals do not. Though I hope to see a day when sexual orientation is not stigmatized and a GLBT forum is not necessary, it is clearly critical now and FlyerTalk would be an incomplete travel website without it.

I have visited it from time to time. My "M/O" when I visit FT is to hit the New Posts button and read any posts that interest me, irrespective of forum. I regard the GLBT Forum somewhat like the Travel with Children forum -- as someone who has no children, unless my opinion is specifically solicited (and there have been such threads in TwC), I have little that is valid to contribute there. Similarly, unless the opinions of a heterosexual are expressly solicited, I would have little that would be credible to contribute to the GLBT Forum.

Nonetheless, I am very glad that FlyerTalk has a GLBT Forum, and a Travel with Children forum, and both forums have my fullest support.

I think the resources that are provided by and for the GLBT members is an essential part of the site. Travel is often a need for work, or a choice, and sometimes the destination can be more popular with some people.

GLBT is a well behaved, well managed board that adds real value to FT, in my view. Long may that continue.

It's of no personal interest to me at all.

In terms of me supporting it, I certainly support the idea that it has a place on FT.

As to changes I think the driving force for that really needs to come from the users. I have no suggestions whatsoever, but if the users of the forum want things to change then I'd be more than happy to consider the issues.

Unfortunately this falls under one of the (many) forums i have yet to visit on my 4.5 years on Ft.

One of my favorite parts on flyer talk (i think i have gave a similar answer on the OMNI forum question) is that it has many forums which cater to large portion of the users needs while many others have no interest in..

Similarly, i have never visited the Emirates forum (being from Israel this is one of the airlines i'm literally not allowed to fly.. hopefully one day that will change) but of course it is important to the population that travels on Emirates.

My opinion is the same on all the great airline and community forums on FT which i don't tend to visit.. As long as it serves it's purpose - generates visit and provides a place for FT's to enjoy the community - all the better.

Danny.

I think the GLBT forum is just as essential as GLBT businesses are to communities. There are people of every shape, size, color, culture, & sexual orientation everywhere. Personally, I like the fact that everyone has a placein our society. Though I don't frequent the GLBT forum I do have a few co-workers that have asked if our desitination was GLBT friendly, and I could easily research and find answers to their questions.

Overall, this FT family has a place for everyone, and if you agree that everyone be represented, then VOTE FOR LEATHERHEADIOWA!