Christian Walker Tweets 'I’m Attracted To Men' But 'Don't Call Me Gay' - Comic Sands

Contents:

• THE SOLUTN TO "GAY" INSULTS: FREEDOM OF SPEECH
• HERSCHEL WALKER'S SON SAYS 'DON'T CALL ME GAY' IN BIZARRE 'PRI MONTH' TWEET–AND PEOPLE CAN'T
• 34 OF THE BT RPONS WHEN SOMEONE ASSUM AND CALLS YOU GAY
• FLORIDA'S ERNOR SIGNS NTROVERSIAL LAW OPPONENTS DUBBED 'DON'T SAY GAY'
• I MIGHT BE GAY, BUT PLEASE DON'T CALL ME YOUR 'GAY BT FRIEND'IN POP CULTURE, GAY GUYS ARE SEEN TO BE ALMOST SATLY -- THE MYTHIL HELPERS WHO E TO YOUR LIFE AND MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY MTV VOIC CONTRIBUTORJANUARY 12, 2016/11:41 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}GETTYMAN LOOKG AT SHOREBY MTV VOIC CONTRIBUTORJANUARY 12, 2016 / 11:41 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"I MIGHT BE GAY, BUT PLEASE DON'T CALL ME YOUR 'GAY BT FRIEND'","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2016-01-12T16:41:05.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2016-01-12T16:41:05.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"MTV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"MTV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1280,"HEIGHT":720}},"CREATOR":"MTV VOIC CONTRIBUTOR","KEYWORDS":"MTV FOUNRS","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BY MICHAEL WATERS, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SEARCH THE PHRASE "GAY BT IEND," AND YOU'LL FD A BARRAGE OF ARTICL, VIOS AND HOW-TO GUIS URGG GIRLS TO SEEK OUT THEIR VERY OWN “GBF.” IN THE POSTS, GAY BOYS ARE SAID TO BE “ MAND,” “A TREND” AND “MT-HAVE ACCSORI.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE GAY BT IEND HAS BEE GRAED OUR POP CULTURE AS AN OVERLY IALIZED FIGURE WHO PICKS OUT CLOTH AND GIV DATG ADVICE THE SAME BREATH, YET WHO RARELY HAS ANY PERSONALY OF HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT HAS REACHED THE POT WHERE MANY GIRLS SEE HAVG A GAY BT IEND AS A MT. TAKE, FOR STANCE, JT A FEW HEADL: “TOP 10 REASONS GIRLS NEED GAY BT FRIENDS,” “WHICH GAY BT FRIEND ARE YOU,” AND “DO EVERY WOMAN NEED A GAY BT IEND?” (THE NCLN: Y.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHAT IS SO DAMAGG HERE IS THE PLETE HUMANIZATN OF GAY GUYS. WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU NEED A GAY BT IEND, YOU AREN’T SAYG “I MET THIS GAY BOY WHO IS REALLY OL AND I WANT TO GET TO KNOW HIM.” YOU’RE SAYG, “I WANT SOMEONE WHO WILL DO FOR ME ALL OF THE STEREOTYPIL THGS I SEE ON TV.” YOU’RE SEEKG OUT A IEND SOLELY BASED OFF OF HIS SEXUALY, AND THEN YOU’RE EXPECTG HIM TO NFORM TO THE RITURE YOU WANT HIM TO BE. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU’RE LOOKG FOR AN ACCSORY FIRST AND A PERSON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}YET THE GAY BT IEND TROPE HAS STUCK OUR CULTURE, AND I THK THIS IS BEE THE STEREOTYP ASSOCIATED WH AREN’T NEGATIVE. IN FACT, POP CULTURE, GAY GUYS ARE SEEN TO BE ALMOST SATLY -- THE MYTHIL HELPERS WHO E TO YOUR LIFE AND MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF.ARTICLE_RD_TEMPLATE (1){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TAKEN ALONE, THIS ISN’T A BAD THG. BUT WHEN THE SAME PORTRAYAL HAPPENS AGA AND AGA, GAY MEN BEE RCED TO RITUR. IN MEDIA, WE ARE THE CHARACTERS WHO HELP YOU PICK OUT NICE CLOTH BUT DON’T GET TO BUY ANYTHG FOR OURSELV, THE CHARACTERS WHO TALK ENDLSLY ABOUT YOUR CSH BUT NEVER SPEAK ABOUT OUR OWN. WE FLIRT AND WE WATCH SOAP OPERAS AND WE SAY “FIERCE,” BUT WE DON’T GET REAL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND THAT, I THK, IS THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HOWEVER UNTENTNALLY, PROMOT THE IA THAT GAY BOYS ARE HERE TO SERVE. THEY RARELY HAVE AGENCY OF THEIR OWN ON TV, AND SO PEOPLE UNNSCLY ASSUME THAT FACT TRANSLAT TO REAL LIFE. GAY GUYS BEE MODI, THE SUBJECTS OF HUNDREDS OF ARTICL THAT PE NOT FOR THEM, BUT FOR THE STEREOTYP THEY’RE EXPECTED TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THAT IS HUMANIZG. THAT IS OBJECTIFYG. AND, AS WELL TENTNED AS MAY BE, THAT HURTS.ARTICLE_RD_TEMPLATE (1){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}EVER SCE I WAS ASKED BY GIRLS I HARDLY KNOW IF I WANT TO GO SHOPPG WH THEM A WEEK AFTER I ME OUT, I HAVE BEEN HYPER-AWARE OF HOW I ACT. WHEN A IEND’S DATG LIFE UP, I WORK HARD TO BE HELPFUL BUT NOT OVERLY PASSNATE; WHEN SHOPPG IS MENTNED, I MAKE SURE TO REMD EVERYONE THAT I HAVE THE FASHN SENSE OF A DYG ELEPHANT (WHICH IS TE). AND WHEN I’M LLED “SASSY,” I CRGE A LTLE B, BEE I’M IMMEDIATELY REMD OF THAT RITURE ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I TELL MYSELF THAT I WANT TO BE DIFFERENT. I TELL MYSELF THAT I DON’T WANT TO BE SOMEONE’S MODY. BUT THEN ANOTHER PART OF ME WONRS: IF I DON'T F ANY STEREOTYP, WILL PEOPLE STILL LIKE ME? AFTER ALL, THE GAY BOYS THE MEDIA WHO HAVE LOTS OF IENDS ARE THE ON WHO EMBODY THE TROPE. AND SO THERE’S THIS WEIRD BALANCE -- I DON’T WANT TO F ALL OF THE STEREOTYP, BUT I WORRY THAT FTG NONE OF THEM WILL SOMEHOW ALIENATE ME EVEN MORE.ARTICLE_RD_TEMPLATE (1){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THIS ISN’T UNMON OF GAY BOYS, EHER. IN FACT, FOR MANY PEOPLE, THE MODIFITN IS MORE TENSE AND MORE DAMAGG.  {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SO CLEARLY, SOMETHG ABOUT THE PORTRAYAL OF GAY GUYS IS BROKEN. BUT HERE’S THE TCH: I DON’T WANT GAY BT IENDS BOOKS AND ON TV TO DISAPPEAR. I DON’T EVEN WANT ALL OF THE TRADNAL GAY BT IEND STEREOTYP TO GO AWAY, EHER, BEE MANY OF -- MYSELF CLUD -- F SOME OF THEM. WHAT I’D LIKE IS GAY BT IEND CHARACTERS WRTEN WH SELF-AWARENS. I WANT TO SEE THE FEELGS OF THE IEND PUT CENTER-STAGE. I WANT HIM TO BUY CLOTH FOR HIMSELF AND TALK ABOUT HIS CSH. I WANT HIM TO BE A REAL PERSON WH HIS OWN AGENCY, HIS OWN PROBLEMS, HIS OWN HOP AND DREAMS. AND I WANT TO SEE HIM AND THE PROTAGONIST VELOP A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL IENDSHIP, RATHER THAN ONE WHERE THE GAY CHARACTER TAK ON THE ROLE OF A MAGIL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}STEREOTYP ARE DAMAGG WHEN THEY ARE ED TO TURN PEOPLE TO PROPS. BUT I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT, IF WE TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THOSE STEREOTYP -- AND AT THE HUMANY BEHD THEM -- THEIR POWER TO HURT N BE STRIPPED {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FOLLOW MICHAEL ON TWTER. {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}MTV {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

THE SOLUTN TO "GAY" INSULTS: FREEDOM OF SPEECH

It’s Time to Drop the ‘LGBT’ From ‘LGBTQ’The se for a new term that scrib all sexual moriKatie MartFrank Kameny, the last century’s greatt gay-rights activist, filed the first-ever Supreme Court petn challengg discrimatn agast homosexuals.

HERSCHEL WALKER'S SON SAYS 'DON'T CALL ME GAY' IN BIZARRE 'PRI MONTH' TWEET–AND PEOPLE CAN'T

He led some of the first gay-rights monstratns. He was the first openly gay ngrsnal ndidate. He spearhead the challenge to the psychiatric tablishment’s tegorizatn of homosexualy as a mental illns.

“He would e gay to ver the full range; or gay and lbian. When started the ’80s wh gay and lbian, he rrectly predicted that there would be no end of . ”Kameny pecially prized, among his many acplishments, his slogan “Gay is good!

34 OF THE BT RPONS WHEN SOMEONE ASSUM AND CALLS YOU GAY

”—a proud claim that homosexuals are heterosexuals’ moral as well as legal equals.

He wasn’t excludg anyone by g the word gay. He didn’t mean that gay is good but lbian, bisexual, and transgenr are not.

Gay rights, to him, meant Amerin rights. A generatn younger than Kameny, I me of age acctomed to the phrase gay and lbian. As gay people fought the stereotype of brokenns, homosexual me to be seen as clil and pathologizg.

FLORIDA'S ERNOR SIGNS NTROVERSIAL LAW OPPONENTS DUBBED 'DON'T SAY GAY'

Gay, by ntrast, had a long lguistic history and no psdoscientific baggage. But the male and female homosexual populatns differed some ways, and so gay beme genred to plement lbian. By the early 1990s, when some of found a group for homosexual journalists, we didn’t thk twice about llg the Natnal Lbian and Gay Journalists Associatn.

Meanwhile, as regnn grew that trans people faced discrimatn and ignorance parable to what homosexuals endured, the addn of T ma gradual roads. By 2007, when gay-rights advot cid to make their support for a feral antidiscrimatn bill ndnal on the cln of protectns for transgenr people, was clear that the gay-and-lbian and trans movements had bee polilly joed at the hip; cludg the T ma unniable sense. In Kameny’s 1961 Supreme Court petn (challengg the feral ernment’s ban on the employment of homosexuals), he built his argument on the Declaratn of Inpennce’s promise that the pursu of happs is an unalienable right.

I MIGHT BE GAY, BUT PLEASE DON'T CALL ME YOUR 'GAY BT FRIEND'IN POP CULTURE, GAY GUYS ARE SEEN TO BE ALMOST SATLY -- THE MYTHIL HELPERS WHO E TO YOUR LIFE AND MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.25 "GRAVY",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NONE;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#FFFFFF;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}LIFEBY MTV VOIC CONTRIBUTORJANUARY 12, 2016/11:41 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}GETTYMAN LOOKG AT SHOREBY MTV VOIC CONTRIBUTORJANUARY 12, 2016 / 11:41 AM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"I MIGHT BE GAY, BUT PLEASE DON'T CALL ME YOUR 'GAY BT FRIEND'","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2016-01-12T16:41:05.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2016-01-12T16:41:05.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"MTV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"MTV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1280,"HEIGHT":720}},"CREATOR":"MTV VOIC CONTRIBUTOR","KEYWORDS":"MTV FOUNRS","ARTICLESECTN":"LIFE"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BY MICHAEL WATERS, {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SEARCH THE PHRASE "GAY BT IEND," AND YOU'LL FD A BARRAGE OF ARTICL, VIOS AND HOW-TO GUIS URGG GIRLS TO SEEK OUT THEIR VERY OWN “GBF.” IN THE POSTS, GAY BOYS ARE SAID TO BE “ MAND,” “A TREND” AND “MT-HAVE ACCSORI.”{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE GAY BT IEND HAS BEE GRAED OUR POP CULTURE AS AN OVERLY IALIZED FIGURE WHO PICKS OUT CLOTH AND GIV DATG ADVICE THE SAME BREATH, YET WHO RARELY HAS ANY PERSONALY OF HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT HAS REACHED THE POT WHERE MANY GIRLS SEE HAVG A GAY BT IEND AS A MT. TAKE, FOR STANCE, JT A FEW HEADL: “TOP 10 REASONS GIRLS NEED GAY BT FRIENDS,” “WHICH GAY BT FRIEND ARE YOU,” AND “DO EVERY WOMAN NEED A GAY BT IEND?” (THE NCLN: Y.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WHAT IS SO DAMAGG HERE IS THE PLETE HUMANIZATN OF GAY GUYS. WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU NEED A GAY BT IEND, YOU AREN’T SAYG “I MET THIS GAY BOY WHO IS REALLY OL AND I WANT TO GET TO KNOW HIM.” YOU’RE SAYG, “I WANT SOMEONE WHO WILL DO FOR ME ALL OF THE STEREOTYPIL THGS I SEE ON TV.” YOU’RE SEEKG OUT A IEND SOLELY BASED OFF OF HIS SEXUALY, AND THEN YOU’RE EXPECTG HIM TO NFORM TO THE RITURE YOU WANT HIM TO BE. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU’RE LOOKG FOR AN ACCSORY FIRST AND A PERSON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}YET THE GAY BT IEND TROPE HAS STUCK OUR CULTURE, AND I THK THIS IS BEE THE STEREOTYP ASSOCIATED WH AREN’T NEGATIVE. IN FACT, POP CULTURE, GAY GUYS ARE SEEN TO BE ALMOST SATLY -- THE MYTHIL HELPERS WHO E TO YOUR LIFE AND MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF.ARTICLE_RD_TEMPLATE (1){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}TAKEN ALONE, THIS ISN’T A BAD THG. BUT WHEN THE SAME PORTRAYAL HAPPENS AGA AND AGA, GAY MEN BEE RCED TO RITUR. IN MEDIA, WE ARE THE CHARACTERS WHO HELP YOU PICK OUT NICE CLOTH BUT DON’T GET TO BUY ANYTHG FOR OURSELV, THE CHARACTERS WHO TALK ENDLSLY ABOUT YOUR CSH BUT NEVER SPEAK ABOUT OUR OWN. WE FLIRT AND WE WATCH SOAP OPERAS AND WE SAY “FIERCE,” BUT WE DON’T GET REAL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AND THAT, I THK, IS THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HOWEVER UNTENTNALLY, PROMOT THE IA THAT GAY BOYS ARE HERE TO SERVE. THEY RARELY HAVE AGENCY OF THEIR OWN ON TV, AND SO PEOPLE UNNSCLY ASSUME THAT FACT TRANSLAT TO REAL LIFE. GAY GUYS BEE MODI, THE SUBJECTS OF HUNDREDS OF ARTICL THAT PE NOT FOR THEM, BUT FOR THE STEREOTYP THEY’RE EXPECTED TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THAT IS HUMANIZG. THAT IS OBJECTIFYG. AND, AS WELL TENTNED AS MAY BE, THAT HURTS.ARTICLE_RD_TEMPLATE (1){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}EVER SCE I WAS ASKED BY GIRLS I HARDLY KNOW IF I WANT TO GO SHOPPG WH THEM A WEEK AFTER I ME OUT, I HAVE BEEN HYPER-AWARE OF HOW I ACT. WHEN A IEND’S DATG LIFE UP, I WORK HARD TO BE HELPFUL BUT NOT OVERLY PASSNATE; WHEN SHOPPG IS MENTNED, I MAKE SURE TO REMD EVERYONE THAT I HAVE THE FASHN SENSE OF A DYG ELEPHANT (WHICH IS TE). AND WHEN I’M LLED “SASSY,” I CRGE A LTLE B, BEE I’M IMMEDIATELY REMD OF THAT RITURE ON {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}I TELL MYSELF THAT I WANT TO BE DIFFERENT. I TELL MYSELF THAT I DON’T WANT TO BE SOMEONE’S MODY. BUT THEN ANOTHER PART OF ME WONRS: IF I DON'T F ANY STEREOTYP, WILL PEOPLE STILL LIKE ME? AFTER ALL, THE GAY BOYS THE MEDIA WHO HAVE LOTS OF IENDS ARE THE ON WHO EMBODY THE TROPE. AND SO THERE’S THIS WEIRD BALANCE -- I DON’T WANT TO F ALL OF THE STEREOTYP, BUT I WORRY THAT FTG NONE OF THEM WILL SOMEHOW ALIENATE ME EVEN MORE.ARTICLE_RD_TEMPLATE (1){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THIS ISN’T UNMON OF GAY BOYS, EHER. IN FACT, FOR MANY PEOPLE, THE MODIFITN IS MORE TENSE AND MORE DAMAGG.  {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SO CLEARLY, SOMETHG ABOUT THE PORTRAYAL OF GAY GUYS IS BROKEN. BUT HERE’S THE TCH: I DON’T WANT GAY BT IENDS BOOKS AND ON TV TO DISAPPEAR. I DON’T EVEN WANT ALL OF THE TRADNAL GAY BT IEND STEREOTYP TO GO AWAY, EHER, BEE MANY OF -- MYSELF CLUD -- F SOME OF THEM. WHAT I’D LIKE IS GAY BT IEND CHARACTERS WRTEN WH SELF-AWARENS. I WANT TO SEE THE FEELGS OF THE IEND PUT CENTER-STAGE. I WANT HIM TO BUY CLOTH FOR HIMSELF AND TALK ABOUT HIS CSH. I WANT HIM TO BE A REAL PERSON WH HIS OWN AGENCY, HIS OWN PROBLEMS, HIS OWN HOP AND DREAMS. AND I WANT TO SEE HIM AND THE PROTAGONIST VELOP A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL IENDSHIP, RATHER THAN ONE WHERE THE GAY CHARACTER TAK ON THE ROLE OF A MAGIL {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}STEREOTYP ARE DAMAGG WHEN THEY ARE ED TO TURN PEOPLE TO PROPS. BUT I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT, IF WE TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THOSE STEREOTYP -- AND AT THE HUMANY BEHD THEM -- THEIR POWER TO HURT N BE STRIPPED {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#F3F3F3;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}FOLLOW MICHAEL ON TWTER. {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}MTV {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Every time lbian and/or gay and/or bisexual and/or transgenr and/or QIAA+ activists mand the recatn of a strg of ials, they implicly tell a story about seekg equaly and betterment for groups, not for dividuals, and not for that other set of ials, short, if there ever was a time when sexual mori were served by remdg the world of their factnalism, that time is past. Remend ReadgToday, however, that signatn n no longer be gay, which, apart om beg genred, won’t do for transgenr people. When we speak of ourselv as dividuals, we would e gay or lbian or transgenr or whatever appli.