From: rsdonley@quads.uchicago.edu (Roger Donley)
Subject: Re: houmour and comming-out
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 1995 04:43:29 GMT

In article <3rg228$1b6@sunburst.ccs.yorku.ca>,
Glen Peloso  wrote:
>Hi: 
>	I am working on a project for my thesis at graduate school and
>I am looking for humourous stories about the things that people said
>when we said "I'm gay".  For example one mother said "that's fine dear
>as long as you promise never to do it again"  A Grandmother said to
>her niece," Oh I don't care what you put in your mouth, I'll still
>love you."
>	If you have a story like this I would be forever grateful ( we
>maybe not FOREVER but very) if you would share it with me.
>Glen.
>

1.  I told one friend (Ken) "You know I'm gay, don't you?  You're not going
to jump out the window or anything, are you?"
	He said, "That must have been so hard."

2.  I told my dorm neighbor who asked why I had been avoiding him for a few
months (after he said in my presence "They should shoot all the fucking 
faggots.") that I was gay.  He said, "Prove it."
	I said, "Prove it?  I'm gay.  We don't *have* to prove it.  Usually
if someone says they're gay, nobody makes us prove it."
	He said, "Well, do you have a button or a t-shirt or something?"

3.  And this one wasn't funny at all (not to me, at least).  The very first person I ever came out to (when I was 23) I chose because he was in a rock band and
one of my favourite friends, and the only one who seemed likely to have lots of
other gay acquaintances (he had losts of unusual friends and hung out in 
alternative clubs in Chicago.
	I asked, "How many gay people do you know?"  He said, "Including you? .
. . . . [thought for a minute]....  One."

	I felt pretty alone that night, but still felt such a wonderful feeling
to have finally take the first step.

4.  This guy who visited the Coming Out Group at my university (the first time
I ever went) in 1993 came from Czechoslovakia (spelling?).  We talked about the
benefits of "coming out."  He asked "What do you mean 'to come out'?  You 
mean TO TELL THE TRUTH!!?"   
	I loved his definition of coming out.

--Rog