I used to have fantastic gaydar. Really, it was uncanny how accurately I could identify gay people. These days my gaydar is pretty much nonexistent. It's not that my gaydar has gotten rusty over time but rather it has become obsolete: unnecessary and ridiculous in these modern times.
Back in the day of my perfect gaydar, life wasn't so easy for 8% of the population. Like the early feminists who had to take up protestation and who have since been stereotyped as bra burning, men hating radicals, I believe that the earlier generation of "out" LGBT individuals tended to be advocates in the face of discrimination. They may have been purposefully noticeable while the more mainstream gays stayed hidden.
These days, life is much better. People still are stupid but at least we won't be watching that Oprah episode when an audience member asked two sisters who both happened to be lesbians if they had sex with each other. Unless you are Rick Santorum who believes that allowing any two humans to get married will open the door to allowing marriage with multiple partners and goats. Frankly, I don't care if you want to live in polyamory as long as all partners are consenting adults. As for goats, they can't give consent. Sorry.
So nowadays, in many civilized societies, sexual orientation is a non-issue and that 8% of the population includes all shapes and types of individuals. That guy wearing a rainbow vest and leather chaps is most likely gay but so is that Welsh rugby player. And like leprechauns and unicorns, gaydar doesn't really exist.
Back in the day of my perfect gaydar, life wasn't so easy for 8% of the population. Like the early feminists who had to take up protestation and who have since been stereotyped as bra burning, men hating radicals, I believe that the earlier generation of "out" LGBT individuals tended to be advocates in the face of discrimination. They may have been purposefully noticeable while the more mainstream gays stayed hidden.
These days, life is much better. People still are stupid but at least we won't be watching that Oprah episode when an audience member asked two sisters who both happened to be lesbians if they had sex with each other. Unless you are Rick Santorum who believes that allowing any two humans to get married will open the door to allowing marriage with multiple partners and goats. Frankly, I don't care if you want to live in polyamory as long as all partners are consenting adults. As for goats, they can't give consent. Sorry.
So nowadays, in many civilized societies, sexual orientation is a non-issue and that 8% of the population includes all shapes and types of individuals. That guy wearing a rainbow vest and leather chaps is most likely gay but so is that Welsh rugby player. And like leprechauns and unicorns, gaydar doesn't really exist.
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