I don't understand this either...

[Brinniel]

Originally Posted by Rune Son of Bjarne

the thing about pretending to be gay is something people do. . .something I do. Let me tell you that it has absolutely nothing to do with homophobia, if anything it is an expresion of the opposite. How do we do it. . . well we actually make passes at each other and such. Not by hugging, because hugging is the way good friends greet each other (yes males too).

Some of my friends are gay so I really would hate to be labeled homophobic because I joke about being gay.

Well, I don't think that every man who jokes about being gay is homophobic. And the situation is different depending where you living. My high school is located in one of the most conservative states in the United States. Many people there really are homophobic and homosexuality is not as welcome as some other places. I didn't know of many gay people in that school, and I wonder if perhaps it was because they were afraid of coming out. There was a lesbian couple at my school, and each day they walked the halls hand-in-hand, I could feel the negative energy directed towards them. I do not think that all straight men who imitate gays are doing it to be hurtful, but there are some who do. And the guys in my high school who did it might have not been homophobic at all. But the vibe I got from how they acted made me think that they imitate gay males because they do not understand homosexuality, and it is their way to interpret how they feel about it. I believe that a similar attitude is directed to LotR when comes to interpreting male friendships as sexual.

I do realize guys who are completely comfortable with homosexuality still joke about it. I see it at my current school all the time. Yet, this joking is done in a different light. People don't do it because they're uncomfortable, but instead use it to express their acceptance. My school is well-known for the high percentage of gay students, and students like to emphasize this by joking about it. Often, the joke is how gay males outnumber the straight ones. We even put on a play, Romeo and Julian, which only accentuated the stereotype we're given.

Okay, sorry for any rambling. I thought I should just clarify...