Last night, I went to a gay men's social group. At dinner, there was a guy telling some stories that rather surprised me. He had lived in a conservative Midwestern state, but had experienced more homophobia from straight women than straight men! His thought was that in the town where he was living, there weren't enough straight guys to get the straight girls married off ... and so the girls REALLY resented the gay men for reducing the pool of eligible bachelors. He told a couple more stories that surprised me... One was when some women customers at a restaurant where he was working kept calling him a faggot. He convinced all his fellow co-workers not to serve the obnoxious customers, and he told them that no one would serve them that night, but that if they came back with a much better attitude tomorrow, they'd have another chance. Some of these women actually went on to become his friends later. Then there was a time that some straight guy kept being a jerk for months (including comments about the gay thing). But then at a party, this straight guy wanted to make out with the gay guy! Fortunately, the gay guy turned down the straight guy's advances. This despite the gay guy having "been straight guys' bitch" for years before... What surprised me most was that these situations were ones where a gay guy stood up to homophobes and demanded respect - and got it! And he didn't get shot or beaten up. Anyone else have stories about times that they shut down homophobes or changed their opinions?
Sad to say, I don't have any. However, my friend has kind of, I think? A classmate was taunting my friend about something until it got down to the "I bet you kiss boys!" and my friend said, "What? Yeah, I do," and the classmate just had a surprised "help me out" look on his face when he looked at his cronies. In the classmate's defense, I am pretty sure he and his friends were just goofing around, but aren't actually homophobic and didn't know my friend was bi.
I've only been called a 'faggot' twice: once, as I was leaving the 'gay dance venue', by a few obnoxious guys up in the balcony (I have no idea why they would do so in such a nasty way, and it was ironic, considering they were probably more gay than I am, since I'm kinda Bi tbh); and another time, by a girl who yelled across the road "nice satchel for a faggot!" (I had my shoulder bag at the time). Other than those instances, I've had barely any issues at all. Sometimes the older ladies at the secondhand shops either raise an eyebrow or seem to suppress a little laugh when I purchase a somewhat 'girly' top, but really that's pretty tame by comparison.
"I bet you kiss boys" So does your mother; go home and call her a faggot. Come over here by me, close your eyes, and we will find out. I bet you do too; come here and kiss my ass.
