Reply #9: Not unusual...and it is getting worse.

[Behind the Aegis]

Last weekend, my partner and I went to a Taco place, fast food. We were eating and we was across the table from me. Then a SUV filled with teenagers in the back pulled up. The mother was obviously reading the drive-thru menu deciding what to get. I looked over and one of the male teens was acting very odd, bouncing in his seat, acting strange. I went back to eating. I looked over again, as the SUV was still there, almost 10 minutes later, and this little shit was mouthing..."are you a faggot?" "Hey faggot...fuck you." My partner happen to look over and I don't know if they mouthed off to him (he is bigger than me..and doesn't "look" gay.). By the time the drove to the drive through...20 minutes had elapsed...no kidding! The kid is hanging out the window mouthing "Are you gay?" as they drove off. Now, I don't know if he was just mouthing it or saying it, but the mother did nothing to control her spawn. Needless to say, it ruined my meal.

I could have flipped him off, mouthed back, "Why do you ask? Looking for a date?" or something else, but it just wasn't worth it. I have put up with this shit since I was a teen, actually before. It was one of the reasons I didn't go into acting because I was afraid someone would yell "faggot" while I was on stage and embarrass my family. Of course, I didn't know then, that the theater is rife with "my kind" and most homophobes don't go to plays because there are no car crashes. Living like that also made me very shy (I can overcome that on occasion). More recently, I don't care, but sometimes, it will cause agoraphobic responses and I won't leave the house for days at a time.

The hate in this country is out of control. Personally, I don't care what color someone is (or their hair...or lack thereof), I don't care if they are disfigured, overweight...all I care about is attitude. You can be the most physically attractive person, but if you open your mouth and slurs emerge, you become one of the ugliest persons. Conversely, you can look like you just left your job at the bell tower at Notre Dame, but if you exude love and respect, you become one of the "beautiful people." Maybe it is just me.