our public life

Im shy, I dont go to lengths to hide it (eg I hold my girlfriends hand in public) but I dont shout about it.

 

I'm shy, too--I shrink in my shell if anyone even mentions the possibility of my orientation. I've regretted it, but if someone asks me if I'm a lesbian I'll deny it. The only exception is when I'm with my best friend who's questioning right now--if I'm with her, I don't care if people think I'm a lesbian because I know at least one person likes me for me. ^-^

 

I'm normally shy but I do have a "public persona" when I'm around people I know. I'm ashamed to say over the years I've lied to myself and other people. So nobody really knows who I am.

 

I'm not the type to flaunt anything in public because of my insecurities, though I have nothing to hide at this point since I pretty much blend in with the crowd for the most part. Honestly, my style of dress is pretty bland--polos, tees, and jeans usually. When I'm in among my group of friends in this city, I feel completely comfortable because everyone pretty much already knows and don't care since they're all straight allies or gay/lesbian/bi/transgender/genderqueer themselves.

 

I've unwittingly cultivated a "public" persona that even my family buys into. To a lot of people I'm a dedicated hard worker who's completely invested in his career...but to myself, I don't really care about my work as much as I could - I'd give it up in a heartbeat if I thought it would make a difference in my love life.

On the other hand, I'm very much "myself" with a lot of my friends, and I'm pretty open about being gay in public (I wear a rainbow ring, if that counts). Here's hoping I can start to convince my family to see more of the "real" me.

 

I don't flaunt who I am, but I don't hide it either. I go to different gay rights events and I'm to the point now where if people ask I'll tell them.

 

I'm shy but I would tell anyone I was gay if they asked me.
I'm not ashamed of my sexuality I guess.

 

I'm a pretty open person, and I don't think that my sexuality really defines me - I don't really feel that I fit into 'gay culture'. Not that I have any sort of a problem with more 'stereotypically gay' guys, it's just not who I am. If anyone asks I'll tell them the truth about just about everything about me, including the fact that I like guys.

 

I'm fairly reserved with most people. Not just about my sexuality, but with most things; I don't open up easily. So I usually pass under the radar. That might be different if I had a boyfriend, but that doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon.

 

I'm pretty shy about it. I probably would feel really weird holding a girl's hand in public right now. But I will talk about gay stuff to my gay friends.

 

It depends on where I am. If I have any reason to believe it would endanger me or get me yelled at (and I don't feel particularly confrontational that day), I avoid the subject. I won't deny it if it's asked of me directly.

But I live in a college town and spend most of my time on campus, so I have no qualms wearing pride swag when I'm out and about.

 

I'm not as shy about it as I used to be. I mean, I'll still act the way I normally do, short of making it blatanly obvious to everyone I come into contact with. You don't have to act a certain way just because you are 'out' about your orientation. I'm not one that falls into the whole "Oh my gahd! That is so fabulash!" stereotype. I'm me. Out in public I opt the attitude of "if you have the balls to ask me directly if I'm gay, I'll have the balls to tell it to you straight"... as it were.

 

My out status is set to "everyone and their mother" for a reason. I have a shirt that says "When do I get to vote on your marriage?" and another one that says "I heart chubby bearded guys", both of which I wear pretty frequently and very shamelessly. I have a rainbow scarf that I've worn around when I feel like it. I have a rainbow necklace that I also wear, and a rainbow pin on my messenger bag (which goes with me to class every day) that says "Don't ask, 'cause I'll tell."

Why do I do it? I'd by lying if I said that the notion of a guy seeing me wearing my pride paraphernalia and coming up to talk to me didn't motivated it somewhat, but for the most part, it's about visibility. Partly, it's to let people know that those gay people that they insult when they make homophobic comments are real and exist right in their neighborhood, their classroom, their dormitory, their department, etc. The other part is the fact that I'm someone who most people don't ever suspect is gay without my telling them, so I do it to show them that we come in just as many varieties as they do.

 

^That pretty much explains my motivations for wearing my rainbow bracelet around, though I have an additional reason:

I live in Texas, so not many people have the courage to wear that sort of shit around. I'm hoping maybe some kids my age who feel painfully different or alone will see it and feel a little better. Back when I was in the closet, I once saw a girl wearing pride paraphernalia and it gave me a bit more courage!

Unfortunately, other people have said that they "didn't notice" my bracelet, and "wouldn't assume I was gay" even if they did notice it. It's probably good that they're not judging people by their tastes in accessories, but I didn't buy the thing to have nobody notice it. xP

 

I don't flaunt it, but I'm not shy about it. I don't own any LGBT accessories or anything like that, and for the most part I don't make a topic of it. I actually dress pretty straight, although I will admit I do look sorta gay (but more nerdy) and hate sport.

I'll talk about it and claim it as part of my personality, but I won't flaunt it.

 

I won't bring it up, but have no problem talking about it if it is brought up with people that I am out to. Others I am more reserved with, but I definitely wouldn't deny I was gay.

However I regularly wear a rainbow t-shirt and the rest of my clothing probably falls on the 'gay' side of the scale . I don't try and suppress any of my mannerisms that could be associated with being gay,but I don't think they are particularly noticeable regardless (I did suppress them a few years ago though).

 

I do not hide. I have pride patches and bracelets for political reasons, but mostly people know because I just don't censor myself. It's perceived as flaunting, but I don't see it that way. If I was with a guy there would be no issues with us holding hands or kissing in public, or with me using the word 'boyfriend' when it's relevant.... so why should that change because I have a girlfriend?

....there's also the patches, the rainbows, the flag on my wall, the job, the attendance record at protests and huis.... but that's all politics. I have a political persona and that is me flaunting it, because it's not going to go away. But for the most part it's just me refusing to censor what I say and do.

 

I guess I'm allowing myself to be a bit more colourful now - a bit louder, quoting more obscure things to get a laugh, using accents and voices where neccessary for comedic effect.

 

As much as possible, I keep my status away from the public's attention. Not that it matters, I just find it irritating to be continuously poked towards something regarding me. I don't like people sticking out their noses to my private life, unless there is something wrong.

I'm not particularly shy about my sexuality. If I'm asked gently and seriously, I'd readily answer with the truth. There's nothing really so embarrassing of what I am; I can defend myself to the extremes, if needed.