Opinion: Not Too Gay, Not Too Homophobic

To write about gay subjects may be more than difficult. Just to talk about it presents many challenges. On one hand, you don’t want to sound too gay. What does that mean? I guess girly, soft, exaggerated, too colorful or over the top. Avoiding such behaviors and ways of expression, is the common rule growing up in South America, and I believe it is also in the U.S. “That is gay,” is a very common international expression that degrades those who are not heterosexual, but it also indicates some characteristics that we relate with gays and lesbians. So, when a straight guy or woman is writing about homosexuals it is very easy to fall in the “that is gay” category, and of course it is going to seem "gay" since you are talking about gays. Nevertheless, the writer needs to maintain focus on the events and don’t fall in the gayness. This means to report events with no restrictions, just as they are, but do not over decorate them with flowers, brushes of pink or sounds from Elton John music if they are not there.

On the other hand, the writer would not want to go to the opposite end either which is being homophobic. This has been the easiest way too respond to the “that is gay,” b.s. Where I come from, in many situations, most people will defend their manhood by attacking the gay minority. So, in order to talk or write about gays you had too bombard them with bad intention jokes, or just plain disrespect. Falling in this category of a writer is quite easy. As you write on the gay subject, you may doubt your own angle on the story and to prove your audience that you are very macho, you may throw a couple punch lines to the homos. As a writer you may think it is funny or colloquial to add such comments in your story, but if they are not part of the events, DO NOT USE THEM. Your sexuality is not going to be proven in how good or bad you talk about gay people.

This is my recommendation in gay topics:

Do your job as a reporter and tell events as they occur.

Construct characters as they truly are.

Don't be too gay or too homophobic in your writing

And at the end of the day go home or wherever it is and show your partner the man or woman you truly are.