First. My butt cheeks are so damn sore. I’m walking so stiffly at the moment. Will teach me for walking down High Street.
So anyway, moving on from my pained muscles. I’ve been watching the latest season of Masterchef Australia online. It’s really the only version of Masterchef I like, but the point is I am having a reverse heteronormative moment. There’s a man on it, a nice enough man, but I have been assuming he’s gay. He is almost the stereotype. He works as a hairdresser, he has many of the mannerisms and body language that is usually associated with homosexuality. And yet, when they show his home life, he’s there with his wife and children.
Now as someone who identifies as bisexual, I can quite happily say I have no homophobic issues. Straight, gay, dyke, lesbian, bi, asexual, whatever sexuality you want to identify with I’m all for supporting that. So it surprised me how much I have brought into the stereotype. I’m not exclusive about the stereotype, I don’t believe all gay men are effeminate, or all lesbians are butch dykes. But it seems if I see someone who could be placed in a gay box I automatically just assume he’s gay. So maybe its not that I have gay stereotype boxes, but instead I have a straight box and if you don’t fit that image of what it means to be straight I’ll assume you’re not.
So its a reversal of stereotyping and labelling norms. The first guy eliminated was openly gay. He was solidly built, played rugby, big tall bloke, spoke with a Canadian accent but no sign of a lilt. So other than him saying, I play for an all-gay rugby team and this is my partner -insert male name here- no one would question his sexuality, there would be no reason for him to defend his lifestyle choices, and indeed many would say he was performing acceptable masculinity. He was being a ‘real man’. This other guy though, he’s straight, but I can see him having to ‘prove’ that. I can see people saying, oh yeah, he’s just in denial. And a lot of that is because he isn’t acting from the acceptable straight box.