Being feminine doesn’t have to mean being straight
Stop assuming I’m straight just because I wear makeup and dresses
We can’t all be in San Francisco, but UGA’s campus sure is a good place for the queer community. Despite being in the Bible Belt, the campus is littered with “safe-space” stickers and open members of the LGBTQ+ community.
That’s partially why I wanted to go to UGA – not only to be accepted, but to express my sexuality more openly. I was nervous to come out in my small town in central Georgia. I was afraid of the whispers and stares.
But in Athens, I could literally paint myself rainbow and run down the street and no one would bat an eye. And that’s pretty much what I did, but on a more subdued level.
I bought a large, showy rainbow bracelet at the Athens Pride festival and wore that sucker proudly. You can bet when I had a question in class, I raised that bad boy high up for everyone to see.
When I started to casually come out in conversation, I could easily point to my bracelet and say: “Yup, you should have known all along.” But whenever I mentioned my bracelet, I almost always got a puzzled look and a weird reaction.
People would say: “Oh, I thought you were just a supporter. I didn’t know you were gay. You don’t look gay.”
I’m sorry. What?
I pretty much waved that rainbow around in people’s faces. I wanted to be open about my sexuality and I thought people would take the hint. I guess not.
I’d go home and look in the mirror. I see long hair and a made up face. I see a dress on my body. I see femininity. I see what others see, and I guess that must mean a straight girl, too. Sigh.
In the South, a lot more people have outdated stereotypes as general expectations for members of the LGBTQ+ community. When members of that community don’t look or act according to those stereotypes, people get confused. Sometimes it seems like the only way to avoid confusion about my sexuality is to tattoo “I AM NOT STRAIGHT” on my face.
Remember this, because it will be on the final: you don’t have to look like a stereotype to be believed by your peers, whatever your case may be.
To my feminine queer ladies out there, put on those dresses and get your makeup on fleek. Dress as feminine as you want, and don’t be afraid of people thinking you’re a straight girl. You can’t look like a straight girl, just like you can’t look like a gay girl. You can’t look like a sexuality.
But if you do want to add a little punch, do go with various rainbow paraphernalia to get your point across. Let your freak flag fly.
And for everyone else: like Sherlock Holmes, take a hint at face value.