They're Both Gay?
Years ago, a friend in graduate school explained to me a curious personal discovery of hers. As a child, she had frequently eaten chicken; also, she knew live chickens from visiting her grandparents' farm. Some years later, she was horrified to discover that they were the same chicken. Yikes! All that time, she'd been eating the animals that she knew. Without thinking about it, she'd sort of assumed that it just happened to be the same word used for different things.
I have now an awkward confession: we are actually acquainted with some people who voted for Bush. Despite their newly revealed homophobia, they continue to talk to me as though we are actually sympathetic friends. They will even go out of their way to ask about Isaac.
Often, what I'm thinking is: Excuse me, but Isaac is my gay partner! Remember, you don't like him! You don't even believe he can exist! You voted against us!
Now I'm wondering: are they like my friend with the chickens? Do these people not realize that our "gay" is that "gay"?