I’ve long-since believed that being gay is a gift.
If I wasn’t gay, I would have never steered off my corporate career path, I wouldn’t be cultivating this blog and I wouldn’t be connecting with you. I would have never realized my passion for equality, or used art as a means of self-expression. I’m so grateful for the gift that is my sexuality.
When it comes to being gay, I tend to see the glass half full (not surprisingly, I suppose). Even the most difficult struggles have made me all-the-wiser; I wouldn’t give them back for the world.
If I had to pick a favorite aspect of being gay, I think it would be this: That where there is great hardship and difficultly, there is a tremendous opportunity to be stronger than we could have ever imagined.
Of course, that I don’t have to eat p***y would be a close second.
But what about you? What is your favorite thing about being gay?
September 8, 2010 at 9:24 am
My favorite thing about being gay is the strength it’s given me and perspective I’ve developed on our society.
September 8, 2010 at 9:25 am
i think my favorite thing about being gay is that we get all the great looking men, with all the best qualities of women (p***y not included) LOL
September 8, 2010 at 9:28 am
I was firstly going to say that when I have sex I won’t accidentally end up with a child 9 months later. But I also think it’s given me a lot of exposure to things in the world that I wouldn’t have appreciated or cared about if I wasn’t part of a minority. Strength and courage, as cliched as they sound, have been two amazing things I’ve come to know from being gay
x
September 8, 2010 at 9:32 am
It opens my eyes to things that I would have never seen had I been straight. Things like respect, tolerance, acceptance, I would have never cared about such things. Unfortunately, this is how humans work. It takes you to be in that situation for it to matter to you.
September 8, 2010 at 9:36 am
It’s usually a great test of how open-minded people are. But there are still some pretty close-minded gay guys…
I love it when people ask me questions about being gay and seem so interested. I feel like a delegate for some amazing country!
September 8, 2010 at 9:37 am
I have shaved something other than my face. Honestly.
September 8, 2010 at 9:39 am
I think that gay people search for deeper meaning into everything. That in it of itself is a blessing alone.
September 8, 2010 at 9:43 am
I belivee it’s a gift too. For me it has been experiencing real compassion within our community. While most would say we are bitchy to each other, I find the opposite to be true, esp back in the days of the early AIDS pandemic. When we were on our own and took care of our own. Gave us such strength. I have never been more proud to be an out gay man.
September 8, 2010 at 9:44 am
My absolutely amazing gay friends, who are more open, loving and supportive than anyone else that I know or have ever met.
A close second is not being bound to the heteronormative behaviour code. I can drink, wear or say what I like without “fear” of someone calling me gay. That’s just like them calling me awesome: both are absolute truths
September 8, 2010 at 9:46 am
Compassion for others because I know their situation.
Insight from having to examine myself so deeply.
Creativity from having to overcome and make things better.
Love of myself and others, even when there is none returned.
Pride because I am unique and willing to stand for whats right.
Discretion because the world is not fully ready.
Grace for being diplomatic in trying times.
Patience and hope for what life can be.
There is not one favorite thing for me. They all make me whole. So they are one.
September 8, 2010 at 9:46 am
I’d have to say my favorite thing about being gay is the ability to not give a crap wat a single other person thinks in this world. The ability to be oneself in every possible way is extremely powerful and allows you to feel a certain level of freedom that you would never experience otherwise.
The judments passed by others are merely a minor inconvenience. Also, getting beat up sucks, but that hasnt happened since I was big enough to take care of myself.
September 8, 2010 at 10:04 am
well the best thing about being gay for me, is well everything, but it has to be the friends for me,
that are so supportive, it is just awesome
September 8, 2010 at 10:15 am
The best thing about being homosexual is not worrying about knocking up a chick.
September 8, 2010 at 10:15 am
It will be interesting to see how this evolves as we gain acceptance in society, but for me growing up gay meant that I was shown that those in authority could get things wrong, could misperceive, could hold views about me that were so far from the truth it was ridiculous. This opened my mind to other possible prejudice out there and, I hope, made me a better and more sensitive person than I would have been had I grown up safely cosseted and never challenged within the majority. Sure, my adolescence got off to a slower start because I had to be careful in my school years, but I simply would not be the person I am today without being gay, so I would never wish it away.
September 8, 2010 at 10:21 am
Well, I have a few that are true for me from my experiences
1- you know yourself better than other people. We have a unique ability to be introspective and know what’s wrong with ourselves.
2- others have said it, but it’s true: an insight into how the world really works, an insight into respect, tolerance and freedom
3- that we can have a better sense of community and an ability to stand together that straights don’t really have or understand
4- we can have deep meaningful emotional relationships with realy fantastic women without sexual tension getting in the way – I think a lot of women find this a plus too.
5- an understanding of what it means to live authentically abd be true to who you are at this moment in time, and as such, I think we are sometimes more appreciative of little things in life that straights overlook
6- I love that I can make old fusty conservatives get all uncomfortable around me. It really does shift the power balance abd gives me a good laugh!
6- penis
September 8, 2010 at 10:23 am
My favorite thing about being gay is being able to break the gender norms and being unpredictable. Not to mention the fact of being super fabulous!
September 8, 2010 at 10:29 am
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September 8, 2010 at 10:37 am
I like being gay as I have wonderful friend (most of them straight) and I’m accepted by them all and everyone at work. I’ve never experienced homophobia although I remember what the 70′s and 80′s were like. Thank God the world has moved on! I’m witty, or so I’m told, and come out with great one liners just like Karen Walker. Is that a gay thing? Example: I’m at a friends place for dinner, but get ill half way through the evening. My friend said “I wonder what’s made you ill?” and without thinking I replied “your outfit, saying that, not everyone can pull of a sweater in mustard yellow” I was too ill to laugh at the time, but other dinner guests found it hilarious!
September 8, 2010 at 10:45 am
Opps …. Key stroke error caused previous post……Sorry.
I believe the core person that I am would be the same regardless of the gay/ straight orientation. The only real difference would be the preference of male sexual partners and freedom that it allows. Of course there are precautions necessary but it still allows (at least for me) a level of raw and animalistic behavior that I think most male/ female “relationships” lack. Short answer to the question, definitely my favorite thing about being gay is the sex.
September 8, 2010 at 10:47 am
I really am stumped. There’s nothing I can say is my favorite. Being gay is just a part of my humanity. I love everything about me, so I can’t just go and say one thing is better than another to myself.
Nonetheless, one of my stronger qualities is my cleverness. It’s great when conversing or creating. It’s a fine resource, it is.
September 8, 2010 at 10:59 am
Being gay makes you a celebrity, well in some circumstances. I am now the only gay guy in the office, although another is suspect and two other team leaders were, both since left. My office is 75 staff strong, and there are straight men, straight women and me, and that does feel great.
I would say being gay makes you louder, in most cases, a bit more flamboyant, although I try and keep the floppy arms to a minimum as I hate over the top campness, as a gay guy you do tend to feel you have experience more, myabe prejudcie, intollerance, spite and ignorance. All of this makes for a stronger person, so when trivial things come along that normally wreck someone elses life, you just walk right through it.
September 8, 2010 at 11:01 am
The wonderful early bird meals at Denny’s… Wait, that’s for something else.
September 8, 2010 at 11:06 am
My boyfriend.
And the gay community in my town. While there can be plenty of drama and in fighting, they are in general a supportive and welcoming group. No matter if one is gay or straight, they are welcome at our events.
September 8, 2010 at 11:07 am
You (and all of us) have no way of knowing how we’d be if we were different than we are, because we are who we are and are filtering all experience through that filter. But conjecture is fine, and as an intellectual exercise, I’d say my favorite thing about being gay is being pounded in the ass by a big man with his body pressed close up to mine.
September 8, 2010 at 11:15 am
Oops…my eggs were about to burn, so please pardon the mixed-up grammar in the above post.
September 8, 2010 at 11:24 am
The good thing about being gay is:
I never knew I had cojones until I told the family I was gay and had to come out of the closet and proclaim Ellen DeGeneres to be my leader.
but to me, there are also some drawbacks.
September 8, 2010 at 11:33 am
I could say things others have like courage and strength to be myself, but even straight people have that.
So, let’s be honest. The best thing is sex with a hot, muscular man.
September 8, 2010 at 11:51 am
It opens up the world to me and the people around me.
The best Birthday card I’ve ever gotten was from my Mom, when she wrote that me being gay was the best thing that has happened to her. She meant that it made her see and experience the world in whole different ways than she ever would have otherwise.
September 8, 2010 at 12:07 pm
I think the best thing that has come out of this is better knowledge of myself, as opposed to the communities around me, or the people around me, or the bonds connected to me. For me, coming out was more directed at myself. I had to say it out loud to someone (in my case, a room full of people I didn’t know at the True Colors convention in CT) so I could hear for myself who I was. Everyone around me knew I was gay before I recognized myself for who I was on the outside, and the inside. Plus, I enjoy the fact that I can “have” all the attractive gay actors, etc. such as Niel Patrick Harris or Chris Colfer.
September 8, 2010 at 12:16 pm
1. I’ve always had a passion for standing up for the people getting screwed over by society, and although I used it as a cover for a long time so that I didn’t have time to dwell on the fact that I was different, I think it finally helped me to realize who I am. Although I’m still in the process of fully realizing what a gift it is, and coming out, it has helped me already to far better understand and empathize with people in other situations that I’m trying to help.
2. My awesome friends. When I first came out to one of my best friends, I was scared to death, even though I knew she wouldn’t care. There were drinks involved, but one of the most memorable parts of that experience was when I was talking about the girls I used to date because I wanted to feel normal, and she told me if I ever said anything like that again she would know me the eff out because there was nothing wrong with me just how I was.
3. http://youtu.be/ggl5ZGaJFFM enough said.
September 8, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I to have always beleived that being gay is a gift. I’ve always felt I was part of an exclusive club and when I travel I can go to the local clubhouses and feel welcome. It also forced me as a young to realize that if society has it wrong saying that being gay is not part of “Gods Plan” which gays so clearly are then what else does society have wrong being gay gave me license to question what I was told and really think about everything I beleive and why I believe it and I don’t think most straights question or think much in that way. That to me is greatest gift of being Gay Davy said it also once you have the courage to question and be different you can go farther than you ever would have
September 8, 2010 at 12:45 pm
I loved this. Made me laugh. We do have something in common after all… My favourite thing about not being gay is…I don’t have to eat p***y
September 8, 2010 at 1:00 pm
agreed. the whole “i’m already gay so i guess i don’t have to be afraid of the label anymore” thing.
September 8, 2010 at 2:26 pm
everyones saying that the best thing is all the experiences and lessons, well thats just stupid! being gay doesnt bring that, discrimination does.
September 8, 2010 at 2:31 pm
The best thing about being gay is the awareness moment. At some point you become aware and then everything changes. Straights don’t have that. They just go with the flow/society/education/institutions/parents/whatever. Their aware moment comes later. Maybe.
September 8, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Being gay… or having gays in the world does make the world more beautiful.
Look at male hair dressers… mostly…gay!
Most of designers of clothes…. gay.
Most of male make-up artists… gay…
most of male interior designers…. true…also gay
Gay means beautifying the world !!!
September 8, 2010 at 3:07 pm
It made me empathetic to those not understood, helped me to question societal rules, and helped me be proud of who I was.
It gave me a man’s hug, his kiss and his hand.
These may not be with me anymore, but the ME thats is, is proudly ‘happy’
September 8, 2010 at 3:15 pm
… “being gay is the best excuse you’ll ever have for not being boring” (Edina Monsoon) ab’ fab’
September 8, 2010 at 3:20 pm
… and the best thing for me about being gay … my beautiful boyfriend !
September 8, 2010 at 3:29 pm
As a gay woman, my favourite thing is probably that I can throw all those self confident straight boys off their high horses. You can’t believe how frustrated they become when they realize you’re not the slightest interested in them.
September 8, 2010 at 3:33 pm
i have attracted the most beautiful, loving, non-judgmental people into my life. thats it
September 8, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Well,well,well…this post really surprise me from Davey..i find it absolutely not open minded I don’t agree of defining yourself thru your sexual orientation at all..for me we are simply human being with beliefs, values,ethics, thoughts, mentalities,things we like or dislike that are not related necesaarly to your sexual side…when i read people saying it brings them awerness….thinking of your post “speaking of gay people on TV” i am not sure is the case for every gay..and is calling in a way straight people morons…
How do you know you don’t like spinach if you never tried…same for p***y.. How do you know how different you would be if straight? it’is king of if you where saying my favorites things of being white or black..!!!? that’s fiction…and thinking that because you are gay you are a better person..seems not so clever from you!! you should think more on that one..why asking to be accepted when a lot of gay people doesn’t accept the straights…My father used to say that there is the same percentage of asshole in every country…i think it works for gay and straights..some poeple have the desire to grow as human beings some don’t even think about it..there is boring gay peolpe too,there is closed mind gay people too..there is racist gay people too..who you f**k doesn’t make you a better person..this question of what is your favorite thing of being gay is kind of silly…JUST BE…
I of course don’t say you are silly as i love most of your post and your input in this blog..but please don’t tell me that your dick drives your human being.. I always feel that when peolpe want to convince so much,is that there are the less convinced themselves..
September 8, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Being gay is like being born with a demonic curse that you have to live with all of your life. I have never been comfortable with my orientation and would give anything to be on the other team.
September 8, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Many of the comments are interesting and are true of minorities that are marginalised everywhere (excuse the different spelling, New Zealand). The comments about sex with men being the best thing about being gay – well sorry to burst your bubble but many so called straight men do the same thing and call it experimenting, repeatedly. You don’t have to be gay to have same sex sex, just opportunistic.
For me there is the” trial by fire” of coming out of the closet (sometimes this is in your own head). No other minority has to tell others who or what they are or fight so hard to be who or what they are. This is not necessarily the positive thing about being gay but it does create a freedom that does not exist among other minorities. One day this will not exist for what ever reason (tolerance/acceptance or hate wins).
Personally I get the opportunity to spend the rest of my life with someone I love, this is not the purview of being gay but it rocks anyway. A relationship that appears to me to not be a constant battle of wills or of fulfilling gender roles.
September 8, 2010 at 6:49 pm
For me I think that the best part of being gay would be the fact that you can look at the world in a way that most people can’t. That you can witness and be apart of things that people can only dream about. Being gay is something that makes me the loving person I am today. ^^
September 8, 2010 at 7:47 pm
If I wasn’t gay I wouldn’t be me. I’d be a drastically different person. I believe that it is a gift to be the way you are, gay, straight, bisexual, transgendered or whatever you may be. You were made the way you are for a reason. Basically, it is a gift that you, are you. =]
September 8, 2010 at 7:49 pm
I love being gay,breaking a lot of the paradigmas in our society by defending the right to be who you are is great!
September 8, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Resisting it only makes it feel worse. You’d be surprised what possibilities unfold for you when you accept and embrace it. You deserve to be happy, free, powerful and self-expressed.
September 8, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I don’t really have a favourite thing about being gay. I don’t consider it that significant in my life and development. I’m human and I am me. Those are the 2 identifiers I do celebrate. Being gay is only incidental to being me and I feel that whatever I choose could equally apply were I straight. Furthermore I think it only hurts the cause of acceptance and tolerance to set ourselves apart as a “them” to straight society’s “us”. We are one people comprising 7 billion individuals. And really, I don’t think puss would be bad at all. No worse than eating ass and I’ve done that. LOL
September 8, 2010 at 11:10 pm
I have read this from a forum somewhere. I found it funny and somehow related to this blog. Here it goes:
HOST: what is the essence of being gay?
CONTESTANT: I am proud to be gay because what is naked is essential to the eye…
I thank you.
If you think this is offensive, I’m so sorry