I had to go to London to be gay bashed by Texans

[soleft]

I've been to Austin, twice. Know people who live there. I think it's a great town. But like Louise, if I ever need an escape route south of the border, I ain't going thru Texas.

Went to London two weeks ago, felt at home much like I do in New York. Went on a romantic Valentine's Day dinner cruise along the Thames, me, my girlfriend and around 40 straight couples. When we arrived on the ferry, every table had a box of chocolates, two glasses of champagne and a rose. Before we left that evening, one of the wait staff gave us a second rose so we wouldn't have to share one. When all the couples got on the floor to dance, even tho we didn't get up, I could feel a vibe that people were almost rooting for us to get up and boogie.

The next day we went on a tour bus to Stonehenge. Because we both wanted a window seat, my girlfriend sat in the seat behind me. To the side and in front of us was a group of about six women, all white, in their mid to late thirties. From what I picked up from their conversations, they were church going people, on holiday without their husbands, and from somewhere around Dallas.

On the way back on the bus, it was twilight, the tour guide was finally silent and people were for the most part snoozing and talking quietly. My girlfriend leaned forward and rested her hand on my shoulder. I reached up and held it.

Immediately I sensed activity in the seat in front of me. I saw one of the women glance back at me, do a double take, then I heard muffled, excited whispering. I let go of my girlfriends' hand, and heard, "Wait, wait, she just took it back" Then I heard some more giggling, something I didn't understand, and a voice say, "Yeah, well look at the one behind us"

I felt sick inside and muttered, "Oh God, where are these people from?" My girlfriend said, what, I said, never mind, I'll tell you later. Later when I told her she was very upset.

The next thing I saw was a digital camera pointed in my direction, more giggling, then noticed that the camera was being passed around the group of women. The last thing I heard was, "sssh, I think she heard you."

Now, I know in comparison to what people face out there, this is small potatoes. We were not physically injured or blatently harrassed. I guess I live a pretty sheltered life in NY and try to surround myself with cool people.

Of course I want the Civil Rights everyone takes for granted, I want to defeat any GOP asshole who wants to compare my quest for civil marriage to a repeat murderer. But mostly I'd really to be able to take hold of someone's hand with being subjected to sophmoric insensitive ridicule.

[chenGOD]

1. Wow, that's pretty amazing...

Grown women acting little school girls. I hope those particular people never come to South Korea, as schoolgirls here hold hands all the time. My mom misunderstood and said to me "there sure are a lot of lesbians here" (not in a judgemental way, more a shocked way that they would be so open)...
They aren't lesbians, but no one here frowns on two people of the same sex holding hands. Hell when men get drunk here they often hold each others hands.And it's not in the western sort of machismo drunk way "Oh I love you brother"...it's just genuine expression of friendship.

Anyways, sorry for the ramble, but that sucks that you would have that kind of experience, especially around Stonehenge. I'm sure you realize that those kinds of people are de-evolving back to their primordial sludge form....

[mhr]

2. I Live In Dallas, What You Experienced Is Tame

Dallas is part of the bible belt and we have people here who honestly believe that GW Bush walks on water.

You cannot go anywhere here without people openly professing their personal views on faith, typically the fundie kind.

It is interesting though that the Gay and Lesbian community banded together near downtown Dallas and has virtually taken over one part of city. Strength through numbers.

Consequently, the Dallas city government cannot dismiss them, too much tax money involved.

Nevertheless the bible belt and its inhabitants are a strange part of the US and a creepy group of people.

[GOPisEvil]

3. Ugh...people suck sometimes.

It's people like them that will force me out of this hellhole, er, state, at some point.

I hope your whole trip wasn't ruined by those ignorant witches.

[VelmaD]

4. Hey Now!

My best friend is a witch. Many of my other close friends are witches. Those women were MOST DEFINITELY NOT WITCHES! Witches tend to be very open-minded and tolerant and gay-friendly (if not gay or bi themselves).

[GOPisEvil]

5. I didn't want to use the word I was thinking.

Allow me to substitute "fucking hags" for "witches". Better? :7

[Florida_Geek]

11. Hey some of my best friends are

"fucking hags" :evilgrin:

[VelmaD]

12. I dunno...

hag still has that same "witchy" connotation to it...how about just "fucking idiots" instead? :-)

[GOPisEvil]

13. How about...

...fucking <insert ad hominem attack word of choice here>?

:-)

[VelmaD]

17. Hee...I like it

:-)

I can totally see me yelling at someone..."you stupid <ad hominem>"

*snort*

[baldguy]

6. Makes you wonder who the pervert is.

When you're 10, giggling and pointing at a stranger - acting like Bevis & Butthead - is understandable.

When you're 30, it's rude & inconsiderate. They just can't get over the fact that - OH MY GOD, THOSE TWO PEOPLE HAVE SEX!

And what were THEY doing w/o the husbands on Valentine's Day, Hmmmm?

[markses]

8. The more important question may be

What were their husbands doing? ;-)

Here's a story:

When I taught in the University, two of my first year students - most definitely frat boys - invited me to a fraternity party. This happened quite often, since I was not much older than my students, and had my classes capped at 24, so I got to know everybody. This party was different, however, since it was a birthday party or something, and there would be only guys there...except for the (and this was whispered with a - hey, yer-a-heterosexual-guy-like-us and you-like-a-piece-of-ass-from-time-to-time,-yeah? kinda grin)... LESBIAN STRIPPERS .

Anyway, I tried to hide my shocked recoil, and politely declined.

Later in the semester, we were reading an essay for class, in which the writer makes a joke something to the effect that he thought Pokemon was gay porn, so he was all excited to see it, only to be disappointed to find out it was a cartoon. One of my two frat boys screws his face up:

"I don't understand this part," he said - gearing up for it.
"What's the problem?" He had already said some homophobic things in the class, and I could see a lot of the students rolling their eyes, as in, here he goes again.
"Why," he asks perplexed, "would anyone want to watch gay porn?"
A woman in the front turns around and says "For the same reason people like straight porn."

I made the argument that most porn is technically gay porn, since most porn has at least a girl-girl element. Like, for example, if a group of guys were to hire a lesbian stripper team, they could be said to want to see gay porn...:evilgrin:

[soleft]

18. Ha!

In many of my fantasized things I wanted to say to them, what are you doing on vacation without your husbands was top on the list!

[PDittie]

7. Sorry that happened

Dallas is unfortunately full of those kinds of hypocrites. My own experience is that it's worse in Dallas than here in Houston (or certainly Austin).

Texas isn't all bad...but it IS still sliding in the wrong direction.

Kudos to you for not responding as you perhaps wish.

[bleedingheart]

9. those people are insensitve and stupid

[commander bunnypants]

10. Hang in there my friend!!

My sis is going through the same thing. She and her S.O. just bought a house and everything seemed cool. But when the neighbors found out!!! I wish you well and dont let those idjits get you down, remember you and your S.O. are just more intellegent, that is what upsets them.

Your non-judgemental friend

Jon

[soleft]

20. Thanks Jon, and everyone!

:loveya:

[LynneSin]

14. And we wonder why we have bad reputations in Europe

Those folks from Texas did a good job of adding fuel to the fire

:cry:

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

15. Reading that made me feel all over again what it felt

like back on the school bus in jr high school! I suppose it wouldn't even be worth it to say, "grow up!" to such immature, ignorant people.

I never realized until the past few years how many people stay ignorant and childish and never grow up, even though they look like adults. It's as if there are all these people who don't want to be responsible or knowledgeable and with all the talk radio and the right-wingers encouraging them, they are proud of it.

[Vernunft II]

16. I´m sorry your vacation got spoiled.

[KensPen]

19. you could be gay bashed in London Texas.....

it's true......


it would be truly ironic if you met some Brits there who gay bashed ya.