Why I gotta be Gay Jim?
Just the other day on Facebook my friend Matt sent me a message.
It read as follows - ""Just passed Kathy Griffin in the hall at our hotel. Thought you would appreciate that info as much or more than anyone else we know."
I responded - " OH YOUR GOD! Did you tell her I love her?"
Then he responded - "We walked right past her. Then we had that moment where we both said omg was that Kathy Griffin? I walked thru the casino a few minutes later to try an find her but to no avail. I was going to tell her I needed her pic for my gay friend as I am no fan personally :)"
Then I responded - " Wait - why do I have to be your gay friend? Why couldn't you just say your friend is a huge fan? Why did I get an adjective? I never talk about you as my straight friend Matt.."
I gave you this dialogue because this is not the first time I have been introduced as Gay Jim and it infuriates me!
My dumb sister used to do it to me all the time. "Hello _____, this is my gay brother Jim."
And just like Matt, she never understood why I got pissed off each time she did it. I think she thought she was actually doing me a favor by outing me to anyone and everyone.
Why does the heterosexual community - let me correct that - some people in the heterosexual community think it is necessary to out their gay friends/family members?
It's not like I use an adjective to describe my friends to other people for the first time. I respect them far too much to do that to them.
Then Matt went on to say this - "Because she is Kathy griffin. If u met Jenny McCarthy that has straight guy value. I think it's the same. Had I met a sexual preference neutral icon like Bono I'd have left the adjective off."
I call bullshit. If I ever met Jenny McCarthy I would never tell her about Matt not would I ever say that my straight friend loves her.
It is this type of insensitivity that I have had to put up with for way too long.
The bullshit stops here.
It is time for GLBT everywhere to start the revolution and let the S community know it is not OK to treat us/me like this.
The war is coming folks, get prepared.
Much love,
Jim
JCSI
