Guys, I have lived in Louisiana all of my life apart from a couple internships in TX.

Among the many other characteristics of my personality : outgoing, history buff, athletic, brother , son , fisherman, wildlife enthusiast. I happen to be a gay person. I was raised in the catholic church( never been abused in any way , age 0-18 , hate that I have to point that out ) before I took a break from going to church in college. But still consider myself a religious person.

I played sports most of my life, I realized I was gay early teens maybe, but I wasn’t gunna tell anybody that til I was 18!! I just thought that’s how it worked, then in college you could be a gay person. Anyway, told closest friends early college and it went really well. Think I told them after we ate mushrooms that one time. Never really felt a reason to “come out ‘ to my parents. They’re retired and I’m sure they’ve figured it out . They would support either way as long as I’m successful, law abiding citizen.

I’ll cut to the chase; in college I realized I wasn’t going to change into a “ flamboyant “gay person who goes to drag shows, or gay dance clubs. I was the same guy I was in high school, just kinda of a shy, nice guy, with career goals, places I wanted to travel, just a “ normal person” my age who likes outdoor stuff, enjoys a concert, football fan. Liked beer and dive bars, playing pool. Who just happens to be gay. I thought I would have gay friends, but I still have all my same friends from high school . Everything is fine. And I have a challenging job which I enjoy.

I must have gotten out of college at the right now. Bc I think the whole lgbtq thing blew up at across college campus’s nation wide after I left . It was never throw in my face like it is now.

The main point is that: I identify as a gay male. That’s it. Personally lesbian, bi , trans, queer means nothing to my personal identity.

Drag queens / trans have nothing to do with personal identity. I don’t get it.

To be honestly. I have never understood why some men dress up as women. It’s disgusting to be me, personally.

Trans: is completely strange , alien , and baffling to me. I don’t mean that as hate speech. I was just raised catholic in south louisiana and that’s just not something that fits into what I was taught. But Adults are free do as they want .

I am a very understanding , level headed person: I had heard some terrible comments as it relates to gay people, etc so I have pretty thick skin.
Many on this board, but the good out weights the bad here, i laugh my arse of here , even thought Im more political left leaning than most here.

My point is that, please stop making the assumption trans, cross dressing, gentian mutilation: is something that is normalized or understood by your average gay person.

Speaking from my own point of view as a gay person: trans/ crossdressing is completely different than being a gay person, and I personally don’t suppose it . Lesbians , yes I can understand.

There’s 2 genders period. Boys need to always use the boys bathroom no matter how bad they think they are a girl, it’s simple physiology , boys can only complete against boys in sports, that’s only fair. Yes I believe in gay marriage.

Lastly, the whole groomers things is disgusting and I think it happens also with straight people. I fundamentally believe there are more straight sexual predators than gay, since there are simply more straight persons: meaning being gay doesn’t make one any more prone to being a sexual predator than being born straight.

TL/ DR
I really don’t mean to sound like a bigot, I been exposed to alot of the world. However as a “normal” , straight laced professional , who happens to be gay:

I have no idea the difference between trans, transvestite , drag queens, your pronouns, blah blah all that other crap, don’t really care, Society is becoming soft , thin skinned. Don’t care to understand it either. It’s strange to me as well. But to each his own.

To me, lumping in gay and trans is
Like lumping thurgood Marshall and a homeless , toothless crackhead just because they are both black.

Thanks for coming to my Tedtalk.

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