Homo-phony

There is nothing that makes me feel more awkward than when I know someone's gay before I meet them for the first time. It's even worse when I'm told like this "(insert name) is gay by the way; but he's not out of the closet yet... so don't say anything". This has nothing to do with the person being gay, or me being homophobic. I'm not homophobic at all, in fact at this point in my life I think the numbers have swayed to the point where I have more gay friends than straight friends. But with practically all those situations I was friends with them first and while I suspected a few, I didn't get an official word until they told me. At that point they knew me well enough that I didn't worry about embarrassing myself. What it comes down to is this.

I can sometimes say some off-color or semi-offensive things. I always say these completely tongue-in-cheek. When I say it amongst my friends they understand these things. HOWEVER the worst feeling in the world for me is unsetting/offending someone. So when the scenario I previously mentioned occurs, I become SO focused on not saying "the wrong thing" that I say next to nothing. In retrospect... it probably makes me seem more homophobic than anything else.

Other times I may meet a new gay friend and part of my brain goes "oh you should introduce him to (blank), (blank) and (blank)". But why? Just because they're gay? What do they need to form sometime of Warriors-like gang? It's absolutely absurd for me to assume they should automatically be friends, it'd be like one of my gay friends thinking they found my future wife because she also wears glasses.

I know this is a round about way to saying it but I don't think it was right for Canada to edit the word faggot from the Dire Strits song "Money For Nothing/Chicks For Free". I love that song