Gays are fluffy and pink and taste like unicorns.

[Doctor G33K]

I absolutely HATE this mentality. If there's one thing that grinds my gears more than anything else, it's the assumption that being gay means your two favorite things are unicorns and the color pink.

I admit, yes, I am slightly more "girlish" then most men, in the way I act and walk. I do love the color purple. But it's not to the extent that the media makes it appear to be. I do not love cooking. I have no fashion sense. I never played with dolls, and in fact I find them an annoying waste of time. I wouldn't decorate my rooms in rainbows with unicorns and ponies all over the wall.

So I find it really obnoxious when people look at me as a bisexual and think that I'm someone who is completely girly. Those stereotypes are obnoxious, wrong, and just plain annoying.

If you see a community of gays that act like that, what you're actually seeing is a community that acts like that. They do not determine the actions of the rest of us. I'm fine with them acting like they do. But I just wish people stopped using them as the only LGBT image. We come in just as many shapes and flavors as everyone else.

I also wish I could figure out why half of my school has the mentality that lesbians are okay, but gay guys are not. That's extremely annoying. It's the main reason I haven't come out yet.

[th3squirr3l]

It's funny, I really don't have this mentality about gay people, but all the gay guys that I know act that way to a some degree

Not to say that it's a bad thing, I have a friend like that. He's an awesome person. But... He just so hilariously perfectly fits the stereotype sometimes xD

[Bear]

I thought this was relevant to the topic lol:

People are always being reduced down to unfair stereotypes in society, many times leading them to be or feel marginalized (whether in society at large or simply in social cliques). Silly or ignorant assumptions are made because people don't want to take the time to get to know others, or may not have had a genuine opportunity to. People who feel threatened are more likely to do this, I think.

I find it best just to take a blank slate with everyone I meet; anything could be on the table and wisdom will usually teach that there are large gradients in a persons identity (sexuality and otherwise).

As far as the lesbian girls versus gay guys thing...I think the root of it lies with what are assumed to be proper gender roles in society. Guys may want to feel secure and strong in their masculinity. Girls may want that from their guys too. The concept of being gay could throw someones sense of masculinity into question. Of course there are people who learn and know better than to assume a persons masculinity or femininity are tied with their gender or sexual preferences.

Of course there is always the mentality. lol

I have a number of stories I could relate it to, but the bottom line is this: just be yourself. Don't let anyone tell you who you are or should be. Learn to laugh at yourself and the stereotypes, it makes life a lot more fun =)

[Soeroah]

On the flip side, I'm straight and I think the new generation of My Little Pony is one of my favourite shows of the last decade.

There are annoying stereotypes that don't seem to have died out yet. Personally, I feel that humanity should have moved past this already, but I don't know. Things just seem to have stagnated.

My family feels there's no such thing as a 'normal' person. There's just a range of acceptable actions and thoughts that have been changed over thousands of years. No one should be labelled as 'strange' for dipping slightly outside that range, they are as 'normal' as anyone.

[Tehwilburforce]

Yeah. I don't think of gay people like that at all. I do know a few gay people and while some of them do fit the stereotypes, others of them are very reserved and dress in very plain clothes. I didn't know we had an LGBT member, but it's really cool that we have that point of view represented on a small site like this. Kudos to you, Doc, for posting about this!

@ Soeroah: I like your point. That's why I hate it when overtly religious people (keep in mind, I am a Presbyterian Christian and I think gay is ok) cite the Bible as a means to make homosexuality look immoral. Most of the stuff they quote is from ancient Jewish texts dating back thousands of years. Most of the stuff mentioned in them isn't even immoral to most people anymore. We get haircuts and eat seafood and nobody even lifts a finger.

[RollCasket]

Not that I have a whole lot to add to it, but I'm straight and I love cute things, often times watch romance animes/movies (and don't like horror movies) and often play female characters (though I have male too, I have too many in general). I think stereotypes in general are dumb cause people are so different even between circles of friends.

[Fixxxer 117]

I've known only a few people who follow that life style, and none of them matched the cliche, in fact, I had no idea that that was who they were until they told me and it didn't change the way we interacted in the slightest. I don't know, maybe I just get along with people (doubt it) or that I'm trustworthy, but there are less people fitting the cliche than there are people who don't, so it's more like an exception in a way.

I think it's great that this community is welcoming people of all demographics and I proud to be a part of it.

[Regnek]

I gave up on Stereotypes quite some time ago, well mostly there, are one or two that remain in Ireland that while not always true, are just safer to follow, but as to the whole LGBT thing, very few of the gay people I know are very famine though, and I think the one or two that are, are more taking the piss of the stereotype then anything else.

But I also know some straight guys that act quite friend who loves the colour purple, isn't gay at all that I know of, and I have know reason to think he is.

[Doctor G33K]

Thanks for the support guys. It means a lot.

And today I've realized something. I don't care when people call something gaaaaaay. Like a rock. Or an event. Or something that happened. Some gays mind, I don't.

What I do mind, is when people start calling other PEOPLE gay.

I feel like there's a distinction between the two. Calling an inanimate object gay is obviously out of anger. Furthermore, you know that the rock isn't really gay. It isn't straight either. It's a rock. :/

When you call of a group of people gay, they COULD be gay. For all I know you may be angry at them for being actually gay. And THAT'S what annoys me. The potential for homophobia exists. So watch it.

And if you throw the word around every second that also gets on my nerves.

[Luc of True Wind]

I would add more but I feel like everyone has said some genuine and heartfelt things.
Thank you for feeling comfortable enough here for sharing something personal with all of us.
I think people also need to realize that sexuality is such a deep seeded part of someone's identity, and to label something so intimate and profound as sexuality as ugly and socially unacceptable is such an atrocity.
You be who you are. You are you because of how you treat others, how you act, and what you say, and sexuality is but one aspect of your identity.
I have always been a challenger of socially acceptable gender and sexuality roles. I identify as straight, but I by no means act as the "stereotypical" male. I make female characters in games, I prefer female characters in games, I am relatively soft-spoken and compassionate, and I love clothing and fashion. People jump to conclusions because they so easily fall into what is deemed "socially acceptable, " but I say to hell with all that and be what makes you feel happy.
I can see why language makes you so upset, and I am proud to say that I am usually one of the first people to immediately catch people on their homophobic language and give them a piece of my mind for even uttering such hateful language. I think everyone here is inclusive and accepting, so we are in a pretty awesome community