The Former Traveling Spotlight

The tales of a "30" something gay former stand-up comic living in NYC who is searching for his soul mate or soul...which ever comes first.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Equal Rights for Fights

There are many things I want to talk about in regards to last weekends trip, but this thing came to mind first.

I should probably admit something here. I like to challenge society's rules. Which brings me to last weekend and the ski trip.

65 gay men and 5 lesbian women entered one of the only bars in the town of Stratton, Vermont on Saturday evening after having dinner in a restaurant. This bar was the only bar in town that was using the service of a DJ for the night, so we all decided to go. My table was the last to head over. As we walked into the entrance of the bar, a woman was walking out and said to her friends, "They shouldn't be allowed to just take over the bar like that! Why can't they go to one of their own bars."

She was upset that the gays took over the bar. In fact, most of the straight people left the bar within 10 minutes of all of us arriving. At first I was offended, and considered saying something to her. I have to spend a lifetime seeing straight people kiss, watching actors portray straight sex in mainstream movies and television shows, live through the weddings of my straight friends and family, and dodge the baby strollers of the Upper West Side. Yet this woman is upset that we ruined her chances of fucking a straight man that night? Fuck you lady...your chances were ruined the moment you put on that green halter top. Instead though...I kept my mouth shut.

The next evening, after a day on the slopes, our group slowly filtered out to the pool and hot tubs. When the first of us arrived, the pool area and hot tubs were full of kids and parents. By the time 8 of were out there, the parents had taken all their children inside. A few additional families came out to the pool area, but upon seeing 30+ gay men sitting in the hot tubs, they never even entered the water. Aparently a hot tub cooking "man soup" was too much.

This time though, instead of feeling offended, I found myself feeling something completely different. Empowerment. For the rest of the weekend, I found that with just a small display of my sexuality, I could get nearly anything I wanted. No seats available in the restaurant? Give a hug and a kiss on the cheek to one of the other guys. No space at the bar? Grab my roommate and slip him the tongue. (BTW...not a bad kisser at all...good thing other people were around). Hell...people would even avoid us in the lift lines the minute we started to lisp, allowing us to move ahead of them.

And the rest of the weekend, I enjoyed my power. So much so, that I forgot what it's like living back here in the city. Today, I could barely find space on the subway. So I started to lisp...and nothing happened. Nobody cleared out of the way. In fact, not one person paid any attention. I guess here, people are just more used to gay people. Damn...and I wanted to make out with that cute guy waiting at the 7th avenue stop.

Patrick - 2:25 PM -

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