Yeah, it can be challenging to navigate in the world during times when people's minds and hearts are not open to people's unique characteristics.
Back in the 1980's, I was out as a gay person and yeah...I've had some real mind benders from people who were closed off. I remember that day I was out gay as a freshman in high school and walking down the hall where lockers were with eyes turning to stare at me. Talk about baptism of fire!!
In my mind, I wanted to be authentic with myself. I don't do fake very well. Yeah, I had boyfriends in middle school because that was supposed to be the "right" thing to do. At some point, I just decided that wasn't working for me.
During my freshman year in college, I roomed with another gay woman. On the same floor, there was another wing that housed boys. One day, I came back to my dorm room from classes to find some really ugly graffiti on the door with words like "dyke, lizzie" written all over it. I had my suspicions on who the likely culprits were and I immediately marched over to the other wing to knock on the door.
The guy answered the door tried to play dumb. I simply said, I know it was you who wrote garbage on my door and it must stop now. If you continue with this, I will report you to the Dean. That put a stop to those silly sophomoric antics FOREVER.
I even had guys telling me that I didn't know what I was missing....yep, that's right. They said it to my face.
I don't shout from the rooftops that I am gay, but I don't go out of my way to hide it. It is a part of who I am just as being straight is a part of someone. What's the difference??
It wasn't too long ago that black and white people weren't allowed to marry. It wasn't too long ago that nearsighted people were classified as "dumb" and put in special classes. Not too long ago that left-handed people were considered "deviant" and forced to use their right hand.
Cali, you might want to come out of the closet and tell people that you're actually a lesbian.
