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Flying the Flag
Aug. 6th, 2003 09:20 amDang, Back still hurts today, it's actually worse than yesterday. Don't know quite what I did to deserve this. Otherwise, listening to Larry (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lfkbear) in the morning is fun. He had to explain Bears to a straight caller and it was kind of funny. Larry, how many Towels do you go through in a week? *grin*
Last night I went over to Hans and Niama's to retrieve my mailbox key that they had since I had gone to Chicago. They were nice enough to look after my home, but I didn't have a chance last week to grab the key. I stayed for a bit and I introduced them to Queer Eye. Niama is a total reality show freak watching Trading Spaces and a Wedding Story and all, so she got into it right away. She can't stand Carson though, and I have to admit he was extremely bitchy on this episode with the singer guy. I think Hans felt like he just had to watch Pricilla, Queen of the Desert or something, and I'm sure he had to watch some SportsCenter to feel better about himself!
Happy birthday to Gary (garebear) who's always had good advice for me, and a belated birthday to Donald (woofytexan) sorry I forgot it!
Alright, today's rant: I put the bear flag strip on the car last week before I drove to Dallas. It tracks along the top of the back window of the XTerra. My sister Laura noticed when she came over to Chris' (oakleycub) for the party. Laura wondered if my parents had seen the sticker yet. I haven't seen Mom and Dad for a few weeks, so no.
I had made the decision to use the sticker, bought months ago, while I was in Chicago. John (blithwulf) and I were in Oak Park in a parking garage heading to the car, and in the stairwell we spotted this guy who set off my gaydar (and if you set off my gaydar, then you're really gay, my 'dar is really bad). I can't quite remember what set it off (Cowboy boots and a Harley cap?) but I had the feeing that he was in the leather community.
We saw him go to his car, which was directly across from John's. John sports both a bear and leather flag on the bumper for his green Ford Contour. Mystery guy had a leather flag...bingo. As we left the parking garage, we noticed he had stopped before he had reached the street, so we pulled up beside him and talked for a moment. He was a psychotherapist for Cook County, and he was a tad scary looking. Nice, friendly guy though.
The point wasn't weather he was cute or not, it was just that there was a point of connection. He asked us if we were from around here, and stated that he was happy to see someone else with the colors in the Oak Park area, since he doesn't see them so much. John does state that the shopping area does seem to attract more community members in the evening, but they are there. It was just a moment, but I was interested on how the advertisement worked.
So back to Laura's concern, she was a bit worried about what my Mom would think. I stated that I don't think Mom knows what it is, and I could probably make something up. My dad would probably get it if he actually notices it.
Laura went on to say that Mom's been very homophobic lately. Apparently when they were in Dallas a little over a week ago Mom and Dad went over to one of the old homes Dad's family lived in. Before they lived in Highland Park, they lived on Rawlins St. Rawlins is in the heart of the Gayborhood now, and Dad related to Laura that Mom had expressed disgust with the community around them. I wonder if a gay person or couple live in the house now?
Apparently the recent batch of gay rights stories have been getting Mom's ire up as she's feed more and more hate through her right-wing radio listening habits. Dad told Laura that I should just continue to remain quiet for now, and wait for it to die down. Heh. look, we're going to be talking about Gay Marriage and sodomy laws and all sorts of other GLBT issues right into the election in 2004. Have you not seen the battle lines being drawn? People are posturing and making statements, and this will be an issue, period.
It's not going away.
I told Laura that I'm getting tired of waiting for the right time, and that I'm not really worried what she thinks anymore. While I respect my Dad's wish to keep things civil, and the possibility that he's working on my mother trying to prepare her for the news, I don't want him to have to do this. I'm sorry if he'll get a lot of the screaming and yelling once I do tell her, but it's just that he's her only outlet once I go away. She doesn't really have friends.
It's sad that it may come to this. I might change her mind, I might not, hell I bet she's just trying to put her suspicions away, and revealing this will put her over the edge, but you know, I'm able, for the first time in my life, to walk away if I have to.
I may just have to.
lfkbear) in the morning is fun. He had to explain Bears to a straight caller and it was kind of funny. Larry, how many Towels do you go through in a week? *grin*Last night I went over to Hans and Niama's to retrieve my mailbox key that they had since I had gone to Chicago. They were nice enough to look after my home, but I didn't have a chance last week to grab the key. I stayed for a bit and I introduced them to Queer Eye. Niama is a total reality show freak watching Trading Spaces and a Wedding Story and all, so she got into it right away. She can't stand Carson though, and I have to admit he was extremely bitchy on this episode with the singer guy. I think Hans felt like he just had to watch Pricilla, Queen of the Desert or something, and I'm sure he had to watch some SportsCenter to feel better about himself!
Happy birthday to Gary (
garebear) who's always had good advice for me, and a belated birthday to Donald (woofytexan) sorry I forgot it!Alright, today's rant: I put the bear flag strip on the car last week before I drove to Dallas. It tracks along the top of the back window of the XTerra. My sister Laura noticed when she came over to Chris' (
oakleycub) for the party. Laura wondered if my parents had seen the sticker yet. I haven't seen Mom and Dad for a few weeks, so no.I had made the decision to use the sticker, bought months ago, while I was in Chicago. John (
blithwulf) and I were in Oak Park in a parking garage heading to the car, and in the stairwell we spotted this guy who set off my gaydar (and if you set off my gaydar, then you're really gay, my 'dar is really bad). I can't quite remember what set it off (Cowboy boots and a Harley cap?) but I had the feeing that he was in the leather community. We saw him go to his car, which was directly across from John's. John sports both a bear and leather flag on the bumper for his green Ford Contour. Mystery guy had a leather flag...bingo. As we left the parking garage, we noticed he had stopped before he had reached the street, so we pulled up beside him and talked for a moment. He was a psychotherapist for Cook County, and he was a tad scary looking. Nice, friendly guy though.
The point wasn't weather he was cute or not, it was just that there was a point of connection. He asked us if we were from around here, and stated that he was happy to see someone else with the colors in the Oak Park area, since he doesn't see them so much. John does state that the shopping area does seem to attract more community members in the evening, but they are there. It was just a moment, but I was interested on how the advertisement worked.
So back to Laura's concern, she was a bit worried about what my Mom would think. I stated that I don't think Mom knows what it is, and I could probably make something up. My dad would probably get it if he actually notices it.
Laura went on to say that Mom's been very homophobic lately. Apparently when they were in Dallas a little over a week ago Mom and Dad went over to one of the old homes Dad's family lived in. Before they lived in Highland Park, they lived on Rawlins St. Rawlins is in the heart of the Gayborhood now, and Dad related to Laura that Mom had expressed disgust with the community around them. I wonder if a gay person or couple live in the house now?
Apparently the recent batch of gay rights stories have been getting Mom's ire up as she's feed more and more hate through her right-wing radio listening habits. Dad told Laura that I should just continue to remain quiet for now, and wait for it to die down. Heh. look, we're going to be talking about Gay Marriage and sodomy laws and all sorts of other GLBT issues right into the election in 2004. Have you not seen the battle lines being drawn? People are posturing and making statements, and this will be an issue, period.
It's not going away.
I told Laura that I'm getting tired of waiting for the right time, and that I'm not really worried what she thinks anymore. While I respect my Dad's wish to keep things civil, and the possibility that he's working on my mother trying to prepare her for the news, I don't want him to have to do this. I'm sorry if he'll get a lot of the screaming and yelling once I do tell her, but it's just that he's her only outlet once I go away. She doesn't really have friends.
It's sad that it may come to this. I might change her mind, I might not, hell I bet she's just trying to put her suspicions away, and revealing this will put her over the edge, but you know, I'm able, for the first time in my life, to walk away if I have to.
I may just have to.
