Sunday, August 7, 2011

018

It's another different entry for tonight.  While using StumbleUpon tonight (which I am more or less obsessed with), I came across a writing exercise in which I will be writing thirty letters in the next thirty days.  I have provided the link below.  I do not intend to share these letters, as I am sure they will be of a very personal nature.  However, I did want to share this with you because I will probably reflect on it after I have completed the challenge.

http://stories.mibba.com/read/399036/30-Letters-in-30-Days/

As for a blog this evening, I wanted to address a situation that I shared on Facebook which occurred at work yesterday evening.  One of my managers in training (who is female) was approached by a young woman, who handed her a piece of paper.  The note requested that if my manager was interested in girls, she should call the young woman, and the number was listed below.  Apparently, my manager was very upset by this offer.

I guess I just don't understand what the big issue was in this scenario.  I think it would be flattering to know that someone is interested in you, even if you don't necessarily reciprocate the feelings--regardless of gender or sexuality.  So, by default, I am forced to assume that it is the assumption that she is attracted to women which truly upset her.  To this I offer the following: every day my sexual orientation is assumed.  Let's face it; whether we mean to or not, an assumption is made about every person.  We see strangers for what is in front of us without bothering to ask a person about him- or herself.  When strangers see me, I would assume that they see a heterosexual white female.  I am not offended by it; I shrug it off and move on.  I don't go out of my way to flaunt my sexual orientation, but I don't hide it either.  When I discuss an ex, the assumption is that I dated a boy.  If it is important to the conversation that I clarify my sexual orientation, I do; if not, then I let the moment pass.

Basically, what I perceive from my manager's reaction is that the assumption that she is attracted to females is offensive to her.  What is it about being perceived as gay that bothers people?  Is it that being gay means being less of a human being--less worthy of living?  Maybe I don't understand because I'm bisexual, and I don't care what assumptions people make about me, but if you're that concerned with what people think of you, what does that say about what you think of yourself?

No comments:

Post a Comment