Sexuality

[lupin_spirit]

Two interesting things this week.

On Wednesday at the mall I was walking behind two women. They were holding hands and just generally being affectionate.  I was delighted. Despite this being a smallish conservative town (in Idaho, no less) they felt comfortable being affectionate with each other in public.

Then yesterday the 14 year old daughter of a

Comments

[realpestilence]

It's different when it's someone you know personally, I think. No matter how aware and accepting we might be, intellectually, when it's a family member or friend-especially someone young, who we might want to protect-all these worries and concerns leap to mind. Are they sure, will they be hurt, wanting to protect them, doubting they know their own minds at that age, concerned about family strife and acceptance at school/church, etc. I'm not a parent, but I can see the things I'd worry about. It's natural.

It's when a second look at the situation ~doesn't get a "huh, okay" that you have to think hard about who you want to be for them.

[viridescence]

Yay for a lesbian couple being openly affectionate in IF!

Regarding your reaction to hearing about this girl having a girlfriend, I think that sometimes even us pro-gay rights or bi folks can sometimes slip back to "straight is default" when dealing with people we know, or when we're in an environment that doesn't facilitate pro-gay attitudes, like IF, where there's so much pressure to only be straight . It's happened to me, too, when I've had a moment of "wait-what-NOT-straight-BZUH?" before my conscious mind kicks in and says, "hey, that's cool." It happens more often in person in IF than it ever does when I'm online and already in the "gay is normal too" mindset, or when I'm somewhere that has an active, outspoken gay community.

It would only be a problem if you DIDN'T correct your first reaction. The fact that you even recognized it says volumes about your character.