Underneath It All

Wonder Who You Are 05/25/2012

It’s been awhile since I really posted about anything having to my sexuality, so I think now would be a good time to do so.

One of the most irritating things about people’s views on homosexuality is how they constantly stereotype LGBT people. (Now this is true of really any race/ethnicity/religion/etc., but LGBT people seem to face this more than anyone else). It’s one of those things that really gets under my skin, even though I know I do the same thing to other people. I’m trying my best to stop assuming things about people just based on appearances, but it seems like nobody I know wants to do the same. I constantly hear my friends making gay jokes, not maliciously I believe, but more out of the fact that they don’t seem to understand that there are gay guys out there who don’t fit into every stereotype they know of. And sometimes it gets me thinking, “well I don’t really fit into many or any of the stereotypes a gay man seems to be defined by… do they ever suspect that I’m actually gay?” I frequently find myself considering what stereotypes I do/do not fit into, and thought it might interesting to share some of my “findings” with all of you.

• For example: I consistently hear people claiming that “oh, gay guys only listen to electronic/dance/pop music,” or anything along those lines. Me? I listen to all different genres of music. Yeah, I listen to electronic/dance/pop music, but I also listen to rap, hip-hop, classic rock, rock, alternative, indie…. basically anything that isn’t country. So do I fit into this stereotype? Partly.
• Another one I’m sick of hearing is the whole “gay guys aren’t into sports” thing. This one is obviously not true for all gay men, yet it’s probably the most common stereotype I hear around. Now I may not be the biggest sports fan in the world, but I certainly do love playing sports and watching them too, especially football. I definitely defy this stigma then.
• A third stereotype I always hear being thrown around is that “all gay guys are into fashion and are addicted to looking faaaaaaabulous.” All I can say to this one is…. well I wouldn’t say anything, I would just laugh at this suggestion. I don’t know shit about fashion. My knowledge is limited to t-shirts, hoodies, jeans, cargo shorts/athletic shorts, and sneakers. And I’m certainly NOT one of those people who tries to make themselves look perfect. Honestly I think my straight friends care more about their appearance than I about mine. Moving on….
• The last one I’m going to address is the idea that “all gay men talk with a lisp, have limp wrists, and are just all around flamboyant.” I’m not going to even dignify that one, I’ll just let Bender here explain my opinion on that one.

So, in conclusion, stereotypes suck. People need to realize that not every individual in a specific group is going to be exactly the same. I had hoped that  by 2012, stereotypes about anybody would start to disappear, but it just can’t happen overnight. We all need to work on  not judging people just based on their background/ethnicity/religion/gender/sexual orientation/etc., myself included. Like with my friends, I hope that by going away to college and being exposed to all different kinds of people, they can learn to let go of their personal biases and stereotypes of others. And in turn, when I finally come out to everyone, that they won’t be so shocked that their friend Matt, who doesn’t seem like a “typical gay,” is in fact himself gay.

Tonight’s song is by an artist I know nothing about, and in a genre that I also know nothing about. Yeah…I heard it on Degrassi…. shut up, it’s a good source of obscure Canadian music! Anyway, here’s David Francey with his (relatively unknown) song “Wonder.”