Being gay doesn’t define you…..but sometimes it does
I am a 40 something year old, lesbian mom of four kids. My two girls go to a French Immersion Catholic School and my two step kids go to an English speaking public school. When we signed our first daughter up for school I immediately asked the principal if it would ever be an issue for my daughter that she had two moms. I was told that it wouldn’t and that there were other gay parents in the school. I will tell you I have yet to meet or see any other gay parents, and I am not trying to stereo type but I like to pride myself on my ‘gaydar’. Take this quiz.HOW GOOD IS YOUR GAYDAR. One day my daughters teacher told me that she may be treated differently because she has two moms (well 4 moms now, since we have divorced and moved on) I nearly ran right to the principal. I felt sick in my stomach when I was told that, I wanted to pull her from that school so fast but I knew that wasn’t the answer. She will likely be treated differently regardless of the school she goes to. Anyone could ask any one of my 4 kids if they have a dad and they will all say ‘no, and I don’t need one’. We, all of the moms involved, are raising our babies to be strong, proud, independent and well-mannered little humans.
Are you a boy or a girl?
I cut my hair off when I was around 26 years old. I had only been out for about three years and I felt like I wanted to have a fresh look. I had long wavy black hair and I was often told I didn’t ‘look’ gay so I chop it all off. It was the Friday before Toronto Pride and I was feeling good about my decision. After that however all I ever heard was “are you a girl or a boy?” At first I didn’t know how to react, I was actually a little embarrassed but I soon realized that most people are just ignorant. I could be walking out of a public washroom and people will look me up and down and then look at the sign on the door. As if I don’t know what sex I am! Geeze. Or the kids in my daughter’s school have said “I know you’re her dad”. Ah kid I am a woman and I will try to puff up my small chest and smile. Kids will be kids after-all.
Take the what kind of lesbian are you test.
I don’t know how many times I have been called sir. To this day I ignore it and it drives my girlfriend crazy. She says I should correct them every time and ask what their problem is but I often just walk away. So being gay doesn’t define you but sometimes it does, or so I have learned in my years of openly being gay.
xo S