The only one here that seems to need training is RKD since he insists on looking at gay couples as being "different" and thus must be the subject of diversity training. Although I'm straight, I'm quite sure that if I were homosexual, I'd be offended by his implication that I am somehow different and that people need training on how to live with me.
Some people seem to revel in being "something" rather than someone. These gentlemen have, unfortunately, decided to define themselves as gay rather than friends, family, teammates, neighbors, caregivers and responsible members of the community.
Sunflower elects some new board members every year - I've not seen either of these gentlemen submit their names for consideration. Stop whining about a perceived slight and participate in the governance of the community to give voice to LGBT issues that may exist here. Or maybe it's just easier to move onto the next community where you can once again find fault and perceived discrimination. Personally, I'd rather they stay here, give a voice to the LGBT community and stop being so defensive about something that almost no one here cares about.
As always, there are two sides to every story. The board probably chose not to comment because it's a lose-lose situation for them. However, as a Sunflower resident who was there that day, the story being told is grossly inaccurate.
To begin with, no one that I'm aware of had any idea of the sexual orientation of these two gentlemen. We happen to have a number of couples in Sunflower of the same sex, some for reasons of relationship, some for reasons of companionship and some for financial reasons. Frankly, at our ages, we really don't care who lives with who and why. It's a very open, accepting and warm community.
The gentlemen in question were asked to leave the lap lanes for safety reasons - they are lap lanes for a reason and cutting directly across them is akin to running a red light at an intersection. They weren't shouted at or verbally abused but their retort was laced with the most offensive of profanities. They immediately turned aggressive and abusive and fortunately chose to leave the pool and file whatever grievances they felt appropriate. Those results are kept private by our board to protect everybody involved and that's as it should be.
Given the number of times these gentlemen have moved out of "hostile" communities, perhaps it's time for them to question their motives and attitudes instead of those of the community. And, for what it's worth, Sunflower hasn't sold a home since 2001 when Del Webb finished out the development. Since then, all sales have been private sales through real estate agents - the HOA has never handled, approved, reviewed or in any way had any say (other than meeting the age requirement) in who bought what. If a particular real estate agent steered gay couples away from Sunflower, shame on them. But don't try and place blame on an HOA that has nothing to do with real estate sales.
My last piece of advice to these two gentlemen is to perhaps give some thought to starting a LGBT group at Sunflower. There just might be more gays here then they realize; they just happen to live their lives and not worry about what others might or might not think and so don't waste their time screaming to the world "hey, I'm gay, treat me better".
Recent Comments
Sunflower elects some new board members every year - I've not seen either of these gentlemen submit their names for consideration. Stop whining about a perceived slight and participate in the governance of the community to give voice to LGBT issues that may exist here. Or maybe it's just easier to move onto the next community where you can once again find fault and perceived discrimination. Personally, I'd rather they stay here, give a voice to the LGBT community and stop being so defensive about something that almost no one here cares about.
To begin with, no one that I'm aware of had any idea of the sexual orientation of these two gentlemen. We happen to have a number of couples in Sunflower of the same sex, some for reasons of relationship, some for reasons of companionship and some for financial reasons. Frankly, at our ages, we really don't care who lives with who and why. It's a very open, accepting and warm community.
The gentlemen in question were asked to leave the lap lanes for safety reasons - they are lap lanes for a reason and cutting directly across them is akin to running a red light at an intersection. They weren't shouted at or verbally abused but their retort was laced with the most offensive of profanities. They immediately turned aggressive and abusive and fortunately chose to leave the pool and file whatever grievances they felt appropriate. Those results are kept private by our board to protect everybody involved and that's as it should be.
Given the number of times these gentlemen have moved out of "hostile" communities, perhaps it's time for them to question their motives and attitudes instead of those of the community. And, for what it's worth, Sunflower hasn't sold a home since 2001 when Del Webb finished out the development. Since then, all sales have been private sales through real estate agents - the HOA has never handled, approved, reviewed or in any way had any say (other than meeting the age requirement) in who bought what. If a particular real estate agent steered gay couples away from Sunflower, shame on them. But don't try and place blame on an HOA that has nothing to do with real estate sales.
My last piece of advice to these two gentlemen is to perhaps give some thought to starting a LGBT group at Sunflower. There just might be more gays here then they realize; they just happen to live their lives and not worry about what others might or might not think and so don't waste their time screaming to the world "hey, I'm gay, treat me better".