LGBT hate, via my DMs
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So I put out an ask on Twitter for anyone and everyone who has experienced any kind of LGBTphobia, no matter how big or small. I’ve seen the idea that we legalised gay marriage so LGBTphobia has disappeared. This is not dissimilar to the idea that racism was abolished along with slavery or after the black civil rights movement, or when the US elected a black president and so forth.
So I wanted to put out this piece, a piece I will continually update throughout the rest of 2019, hopefully every Sunday. Where I’ll be adding news stories of LGBT hate, along with your stories of LGBT hate. It will not be put into Medium’s members only section, and will be completely free to read for all users, forever. So if you want to support my work feel free to hit up my Patreon or share some of my articles around.
To kick this shindig off, here’s my own most recent story of LGBT hate; which happened on my anniversary no less. We were on a train platform, heading out to have a nice lunch and a bit of a peruse through some neat shops. When a man carrying a still life portait of flowers in a vase approached us to inform us of the fact that my partner and I were one of the good kind of gays. And that he didn’t like “bi twinkies” or gay men, because they carry diseases.
Thankfully he sat at a different end of the carriage to us, and got off a stop before ours. It was only a brief moment of “what the fuck how is this even still real?” and one where I wasn’t immediately scared or worried for my personal safety. But it still wasn’t a good feeling, it was a really shitty and hateful thing for him to have done.
Without further adieu though, here’s some of your stories and tidbits:
“My sports group raised some money for charity, and I got picked to go with the coach to deliver the funds in another country. While we were talking over dinner, I mentioned my mom reacting negatively to my coming out as bisexual. He then shared the story of when he was invited to a gay friend’s wedding, and while saying he was happy for his friend he also said everything felt ‘off’ to him. He then proceeded to tell me I was wrong for being bisexual, and that he hoped I changed my mind”.
“I’m a bi guy and I have a girlfriend, so I get a lot of people telling me I’m not bi”.
“I was experimenting with a bi friend, we both present as men. Anyway, I remember wanting to kiss and hug them on a subway and when I reached for their hand, they recoiled in terror. Worried about what other people might think or do, they even said that we shouldn’t do it because someone might see us. If we’re ever out in public and we talk about our relationship, its in very hushed voices.”
“I came out as trans to the guidance counsellor at my school, who at first didn’t know how to react and sent me on my way. The following day however the counsellor’s boss, the guidance director, called me back into the office where she first mentioned the suicide rate of LGBT people and began questioning me about the people I hung out with. I froze up with nerves, knowing what was coming from the guidance director of a catholic school; and she called me a sinner. Told me I was going down death’s culture and that the school wouldn’t take kindly to it.
She told me my options were now to go to her recommended therapist or face expulsion. I would have chosen the latter but it would be up to my parents, who she rang to inform of the ‘situation’. Thankfully she didn’t out me to my parents, and claimed I had a personality disorder instead of saying I was trans. My parents shouted me out about possibly having a personality disorder and sent me to a therapist, where I remained closeted, and got the all clear for personality disorders.”
“I’m a bisexual person who’s dating a pre-transition trans boyfriend. We are both from Russia. One time, a drunk looking fellow threatened to bash our skulls in when we were heading home. We weren’t holding hands or kissing, but I suppose he read my boyfriend as masculine and didn’t like that I shared my ice cream with him.
I’m not exactly closeted, online I’m pretty open about dating a man. A few of my work colleagues have asked me about this but it didn’t really make me feel any better, as I know they’ve expressed homophobic beliefs before and it seemed like they just wanted some gossip. The group chat we all use is a mess, with homophobic, racist and sexist remarks. My boss once said that we should kick the shit out of gay people. One of my co-workers worked near two lesbians, so that chat devolved into “they’re all ugly and need a dick”.
“There’s one kid at my school who calls me a fag all the time. I’ll just be hanging out with friends, eating or whatever and he’ll just come up behind me and call me a fag. I don’t even know how he knows, since I’m only out to my close friends and anyone I trust enough to follow me on Twitter.
I reported him to my guidance teacher, who controls who goes in which class. Last month the new classes were announced and you’d never guess who is in most of my classes now, yes, the kid who keeps calling me a fag, while teachers do nothing. He’s also called me a tranny while hitting me over the back of the head with a clipboard.”
