This week, I read a quick post somewhere that mentioned how gays are always shoving their lifestyles down straights' throats. And, I thought about it for a little while and it dawned on me that the writer must not realize how "straight" the world is.
When I mention that I'm married, to someone I've just met, they usually ask me about my husband. Most people do a double take when I mention that I have a wife.
Recently, when I filled out an online form for work, I entered Cheryl as my spouse. The system filled in her sex as male. HR had to fix it. A computer system assumed that I was straight.
We get phone calls asking for one of us that the other will take, when I say Mrs. _______ isn't here, I'm asked if the caller could speak to Mr. ______. From insurance forms to phone calls and even those dreaded taxes, as a gay person, I'm constantly reminded that the world is geared for straight people.
This isn't a complaint, I get it. There's more straights than gays. It's like being left handed. I read somewhere that 10% of the population is left handed. The world is geared for right handed people.
But, no one tells someone who is left handed that they are shoving their lifestyle down a right handed person's throat.
Gays are 10% of the population, why is it when we want to be treated as full members of American society, we're shoving our lifestyle down society's throat?
I don't have an answer. I just don't. I just live in a straight world. It's getting better, but we could improve it.
Top Of My Head
2 comments:
Julie...yes, I know what you mean. I get a lot of jaw dropping looks when I tell certain people I have a boyfriend. I am tired of the "Do you have a wife and kids?" question and when I say "No" they follow with a "Why not?". I am happy being who I am and am not going to cover it up like I used to do. Glad I'm out of the closet because I have a rightful place in this world, too. By the way, I am on Cheryl's FB friends list. I am friends with her sister Bonnie. I'd like to consider you a friend as well...Brian Traczyk
Brian, send me a friend request on facebook.
Just this week I had a man interviewing here at work ask me if the picture I have on my desk was me - like I'd be so narcissistic to have a picture of just me on my desk - I said, no, that's my wife. He just looked at me funny, like he's never seen a lesbian before. I pointed to the picture of me with my aunt and uncle at my wedding and said, that's me. He barely glanced at it. He just looked at me funny the whole time.
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