-Question submitted by Anonymous

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Dannielle Says: 

omg. When I was in college all my friends were like ‘watch out, sophomore year is when everyone turns gay’ and I was like ‘whaatevvveer i have a boyyyfrienddd’ and then my sophomore year I totally turned gay… I mean, I don’t believe that people ‘turn gay’ or that my sophomore year really had anything to do with it, but at the time I WAS PISSED. I hate when stereotypes are right and when I’m a part of a large clump without even ASKING TO BE. So, i feel you. 

BUT ALSO, I’ve learned to embrace that shit. Hard. Nowadays, I just joke along with it because at the end of the day who really cares, you know? When people are like ‘oh you go to LESBO-VERSITY, isn’t that where all the girls are super gay’ you should literally just point to your face and yell ‘GUILTY’ and then they’ll laugh. It’s not really about why you’re gay or when you’re gay or where you’re gay… it’s about being you and being comfortable and being able to make jokes. All anyone wants to do at the end of the day is laugh, so just laugh, accept that you’re accidentally a total stereotype, shrug your shoulders and drink a coconut water.

Kristin Says:

Yeah, dude. Here’s the thing: I, too, totally feel you. I fucking hate nothing more than when someone is like, “Oh, you? I know who you are. You like girls so you probably hate boys and you certainly don’t eat meat, RIGHT?!” It makes me want to grab the nearest boy and make-out with him while eating a cheeseburger.

I am not a goddamn stereotype. I am a complex person with lots of feelings and you don’t know who I am just because of one or two elements that align with what you expect.

ROAR.

That all said… some stereotypes do align with a tiny bit of truth. There probably are more “lesbians” at your school then you’d find at a conservative school - and not because you are different people, but because it sounds like you are encouraged to explore who you are and to think about life with an open mind. That kind of experience allows for a much, much greater range of experience.

Come out, joke about it when it feels comfortable and talk about it when it bothers you. I promise, aligning on one level with a stereotype does not take away your complexities as a human.