Casual Homophobia: A Thousand Cuts
When I was very, very, small, someone I love — an adult — said something that stuck a tiny dagger into my heart.
(Warning: this post discusses several instances of Homophobia, and the feelings caused.)
I use the term Homophobia here as a catch-all for all types of bigotry against LGBTQ+ people, including general Queerphobia, and Transphobia.
The adult said to me, a small child, “…it shows being Gay as something natural. Which it’s not.”
And a teeny-tiny voice in my small child brain said, ‘But what about me?’ and then I stamped it down very, very, hard.
Partly because I didn’t know what I meant. What about me? What was I?
Well, if straight was the natural… then I was straight? Right?
Not long ago I recounted this occurrence to that same person (who is a lot more accepting and supportive these days)… and they couldn’t remember it.
This big thing in my life — in my heart — was nothing to them. Not worth remembering.