I swear it wasn't a prank.

[spacebug]

"Hello, School of Music, thanks for holding, can I help you?"

(a slow, gruff, older man's voice)

"Yes... my... wife and I recieved this mailing... and it has some events..."

"Uh huh." (preparing to look up times, dates, ticket information...)

"...and... there's this thing... about the Gay Men's Chorus."

"Yes..."

"...Now, what's that all about?"

"...Uhm. Well, it's the Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus..."

"So, are the rest of your ensembles het'rosexual, then?"

(a little taken aback)
"Well, not specifically..."

"I mean, I don't care a whip what people do in their spare time, you know, but why d'ya gots to go and advertise, you understand? I don't need to know how people are having sex. That's a... an... affront. That's an affront. Could you pass that along for me, please?"

"*ahem* I'll see what I can do."

"You'll tell someone about that?"

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do. Thanks for calling."


I always wish afterwards that I'm more prepared for this kind of thing. I always come up with better things I could have said a half-second to a few days later. I mean, really, what's the difference between this kind of group designation from, say, a specifically Christian Men's Chorus, or something? Oh well. At least he didn't seem like a horrible bigot, just older and set in his ways.

Comments

[sxoidmal.livejournal.com]

Well... I mean, he kind of has a point. I'm not going to say he's right, but he does have a point. When you see a Pride parade, there's a bunch of people making out, a bunch of drag queens and leathermen, it's all sexual-based. How is making out in front of someone going to breach acceptability? It's like they're saying, "The ONLY thing we have to contribute to society is a different way to have sex," and that's not true. Why not point out the things we have in common and say, "See, we're not so different, not so alien."

And I wouldn't say I'm offended, but yeah, seeing "Gay Men's Chorus" is as irrelevant, to me, as seeing "Christian Men's Chorus". Or why don't people go all the way with it and have "O-Positive Blood Type Chorus" and "Judge Judy Fans Chorus"? At the same time, however, I wouldn't call anyone to complain about it. If I felt very strongly about it I suppose I could write the Pioneer Press.