So yesterday at work, I experienced my very first gay hate from a customer.
I have this guy in my line, he’s around my age and I’ve had him before.
First time: *checks his ID for the tobacco he’s buying* “oh you have the same birthday as my girlfriend” him: “like girlfriend girlfriend?” me: “yeahhh”
Second time: *rings his stuff up* him: “so there’s no way I could get your number is there?” me: *as I laugh in his face* “nope”
Third time: I’m on my way to the break room and he’s in that are, which is also where the restroom is. And he’s all “hey, don’t you remember me?” *our previous meetings were a couple of months spread out, and I see a lot of faces* so of course my reaction is like “????” and he says “I’m the guy that asked you for your number” *now uncomfortable* “oh okay…” and I walk into the break room to avoid any more conversation
So now yesterday: I see him and instantly become slightly uncomfortable. And he says “you like really beautiful” me: “thanks..” him: “you get all fancy for work like that?” me: “I have on lipstick and mascara.” him: “oh okay, I’m just trying to make conversation” *super uncomfortable I start to look around and the lady behind him notices* her: “what’s wrong?” *I just shake my head* me: “nothing” okay so he leaves and she says “was he flirting?” and I’m like “yeah, despite me having told him that I’m a lesbian” And there’s kind of this switch in her behavior and I’m like ah hell, what kind of shit is about to go down. So she asks me “how long have you been that lifestyle?” and I’m just like tf? And I haven’t been out for very long, to myself or those around me, so I just say “umm a couple of years” and she says “what made you choose to be like that?” *good Lord please not today* so of course I say “It’s not really a choice, I was born this way” her: “no you weren’t, when we’re born it’s between a man and a woman, this was a choice you made. you chose to be this way” extremely uncomfortable at this point, I just end the conversation completely and say “here’s your receipt, have a nice day”
fawnbinary, have you experienced this at our work before bc it was kind of like really insane to me, that someone would say this to me..
And so as I’m writing this, my mom comes in because my sister and I share a room and she’s helping her get some clothes and I tell her about what happened. And she says “well why didn’t you just say ‘I’ve told him I’m not interested’ because some people, especially old people will believe what they grew up believing no matter what, and they can be ignorant…” And blah blah blah blah, cut to the conversation being about how she changed her mind about religion. And I’m left feeling like, this one thing couldn’t just be about me? You had to twist it around, and of course if I had said that her feeling would be hurt and she wouldn’t understand and she’d get mad at me. But it was about me, it was about being made to feel uncomfortable about something that I can’t change and I that I have no control over. She couldn’t have just said, oh I’m sorry honey people suck. That would have been enough, you know?