My Opinion: We Are More Than a Single Stereotype [View all]

[William769]

“There goes another walking stereotype,” my friend Sam said as he pointed out the window at a young man dressed in short shorts and a mesh tank top, happily swishing down the sidewalk. “Could he be any gayer?” he asked before adding, “Flamboyant queens like that ruin it for the rest of us. Why can’t these guys just be normal?”

His words completely caught me by surprise. I was unsure what my friend’s definition of “normal” could be. After all, Sam regularly spends more money on skincare products than food, quotes lines from Designing Women in casual conversation, and has lived in San Francisco’s Castro district (A.K.A. one of the gayest places on the planet) for nearly 10 years. There are a number of things about my friend that could easily fall into the “stereotype” category, and yet, he had no problem assessing a perfect stranger’s level of gayness as unacceptable.

Sam’s comments rattled around in my brain for days after we said goodbye that afternoon. Not only because his words were harsh, but because they reflected a double-standard upheld by a growing number of people in our community. It’s OK to be gay – as long as you aren’t too gay. Because that would make you a stereotype.

Of course, it’s understandable that some gay men would fear being labeled the dreaded s-word. After all, the idea that we’re nothing more than a bunch of limp-wristed, screaming queens who spend our days obsessing over fashion trends and show tunes are stereotypes that have served to reduce our community to a single note. However, one of the reasons our community is so wonderful is the fact that we are these stereotypes– and so much more.

http://www.gay.net/politics/2012/09/14/my-opinion-we-are-more-single-stereotype

These are my sentiments exactly. Being so diverse is our greatest asset!