Fake Pics, Real Lessons: Understanding My Gay Catfishing Past
My awkward stumbles exploring my sexuality in the early internet age lends me some empathy
You know that feeling when something seems just a little… off? I was on Facebook recently and joined a gay travel group. A lot of the posts begin with pictures of guys looking for travel buddies or friends in different areas. It soon became obvious, when certain pictures looked like friends or acquaintances, that it wasn’t actually them in the photos.
The group extends internationally, so people abroad may not be exposed to the real local identities behind profiles that appear on Instagram and other platforms. And it had me thinking about my own past experiences with catfishing…
Navigating Identity in a Less Accepting Era
Let’s get the embarrassing part out of the way first: Yes, I briefly catfished people when I was 18. Yikes! I know, please let me explain…
Being a closeted gay Filipino-Iranian teen in the early 2000s wasn’t exactly a walk in Progressive-Ville. Oh, how I wanted the chance to explore this vital part of myself without judgment or shame! Alas, our community didn’t quite embrace that whole “love is love” deal back then.
