One more reason to go off the red meat

When people first come out, and by this I mean to themselves, one of the first things that they need to deal with is all of the terrible things that they have heard about homosexuals, and how this does or does not apply to them.

It's particularly hard for people from more, say, traditional cultures. The ignorance runs deep. It spans wide. And it's very funny when you're on the other side of it. Observe:

Convo 1, with stepmother.

Stepmother: You know my nephew just moved to San Francisco.
Me: Oh great! Now we can visit him!
Stepmother: (scandalized) No no...
Me: ...no?
Stepmother: No!
Me: Why not?
Stepmother: Your father will never take the boys there! [The boys being my younger brothers, 14 and 17 at the time.]
Me: Really? Why?
Stepmother: Because all the homos!
Me: (Silence.)
Stepmother: See, it's when teenagers see these things, they're attracted to it, and then they get sucked into a very hard, and very lonely life! You and [my older brother] are ok, you can see these things and not get drawn to it. But the boys, we'll have to wait till they're more grown.
Me: (Stunned silence, because both my older brother and I are gay as june bugs.)


Convo 2, with insane aunt.

Aunt: You know there are a lot of gays in Afghanistan.
Me: Is that right?
Aunt: Yes, they're famous for it.
Me: That's interesting.
Aunt: Do you think they can help it?
Me: I don't know that anyone would choose it, really...
Aunt: I think it's because they eat a lot of red meat.