I’ve seen so many men terrified of anything gay themed. I’ve watched men refuse to be friends with people who didn’t act manly enough. I’ve watched grown-ass men bark “f@gg0+,” every time they saw 2 dudes expressing an interest in one another on TV. Pink Pony Club, I Kissed a Girl, and several other songs are a complete turn-off for them.
I have to ask, what scares you guys? What, sitting in the pit of your stomach, do you feel and think when you see gay things?
Hetero cis male here. I’ve always personally felt that the stereotypical male macho reaction to homosexuality is pretty odd. But I have a lot of gay people in my friends and family, and was around homosexuality a little more than some people were growing up.
If I had to infuse anything into the mind of someone scared or worried about gay people, it would just be that outside of that one detail, and their own small subculture they’ve embraced, they’re just people, the same as anyone else.
To me it feels similar to fear-driven bigotry based on racism. Outside of a little melanin (or lack thereof) and a slightly different subculture, other “races” are people, just the same as you. But rather than get to know other, some folks find it easier to be scared and ignorant and shield themselves behind hate.
Exactly this, we all eat and poop and sleep and seek comfort and acceptance. People are the same at a basic level.