Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Why Aren't you Wearing Your Pink Triangle So We Can Put You in the Gulag?

I, for one, enjoy the "confusion."

This is also probably the first article I've seen that uses the term "gay-vague." As in, "That's a gay-vague band." Too pretty to be straight, but not effeminate enough to be gay?

Wow, somebody's really caught up in stereotypes and assumptions.

This one's basically addressing the mythical "gaydar" bullshit that (mostly straight) people purport to have or not-have, and that because more and more "straight" men are cleaning up and looking good and using hair products that it's becoming tougher for people to "tell" whether they're gay or straight (ha. Like you really could before unless the person wanted you to).

OK, mostly it's about fashion and capitalism.

But it's another example of the fact that when you walk outside the stereotypes, people seem to get really, really nervous.

I enjoy keeping people nervous. Maybe they'll learn to make fewer broad assumptions based on outerwear.

You never know.

3 comments so far. What are your thoughts?

Anonymous said...

Funny - most people perceive me as very straight, along the lines of some farm girl. A couple of weekends ago, though, someone said I came across very strongly as bi and that he was never wrong. This was a gay man who swore by his gaydar.

I don't have it, if it even exists. Unless someone tells me their orientation I just leave it alone - it really doesn't matter to me. It's funny how people perceive me, though, and I found myself wondering if the company I was keeping at that moment (two straight people out of a group of 6 or 7) slanted his view, and if he would have assumed that I was straight if I had been around all straight people.

How did you like Howl's Moving Castle?

The Neanderthal Parallax doesn't have very strong women, by the way - it's just an interesting premise. 

Posted by Wendryn

Anonymous said...

Yea, I'd have to say that the odds of someone being assumed to be, let's say "queerish" :) in a group of mostly non-straight people (in couples?) would probably be pretty high...

As for Howl's Moving Castle: I was entertained, but not impressed or anything. Interesting premise, but it didn't hang together as well as it may have been able to. Still, nice imagery, fun fantasy romp. I'd be interested in seeing more of his stuff if the occasion warranted, but I don't know that I'd be banging down anybody's door.

Still, I was very tired at the time. I may be biased...  

Posted by Kameron Hurley

Anonymous said...

I like that: "gay vague." Reminds me of how we used to describe bars that were not strictly gay or straight as "nervous bars" because everybody was a little bit afraid they would accidentally hit on (or feared being hit upon by) the wrong person. But going there anyway because it's fun to walk that line down the middle & question your own & everybody else's assumptions. 

Posted by alphabitch