What the fuck is with people who say this? Before I came out, as a kid, my parents were neighbors with a guy who was gay. Unfortunately, he ended up dying of aids. Basically, he hung out with this guy who was also gay when he was a teenager. My Mom was telling the story and she said, "He hung out with this guy who recruited him into it, and then he ended up getting aids and dying. I was always nice to him, and at least I hope I always was." Then, a few months back I was telling my parents about myself. I had hung out with a group of girls who happened to be lesbians, simply as platonic friends. At one point, I thought this one guy friend of mine was coming on to me (which wasn't even true). I told my parents about this and my questioning. Anyways, my Mom says to me, "Well to be honest we thought those girls might be trying to recruit you, but we didn't want to interfere with your life." Then, at that time, I was kind of concerned about it all, and I expressed this. I remember my Mom saying to me, "Well, what's the worst that could be the case, your gay?" She was seeming to say it in a way to reassure me that it wasn't inherently such a bad thing, basically. She wasn't condemning me or anything, but yet they were using this terminology that they thought someone may have been trying to "recruit" me. I just don't get why this terminology even gets thrown around. I've not once ever heard of or seen someone attempt to encourage someone to change their sexual orientation to be gay. I've never heard of a gay person saying anything along the lines of trying to "talk someone into it joining the movement". It just doesn't make sense, it's not like it's a political movement or something! I have to say that really irritated me at the time, and I just don't see why anybody would say that.
I'm worried that if I decide to transition in the future, my parents will notice that I've dated a couple of trans girls and suggest that I've somehow been pushed into it by them. I also had one guy who told me that Satan must have tricked me into thinking I liked guys when I really didn't.
I get the logic of someone thinking that one could be pushed into something (not that anybody thinks that now though). Still, it wouldn't make sense to use the term recruited as if it is some sort of movement or organization. That's what I just find truly bizarre.
