How would you be different if you you were straight?

Question

This is obviously for LGBT people, so no "I am straight" answers, please. What I'm asking is how would your life be different if you were straight? Are there opportunities that were missed because you are gay? Were the lessons that you learned because of your homosexuality that wouldn't have been learned? Relationships, religion, etc?

Answer 1

Truthfully, I understand men better I think -- from all orientations. I also seem to know a lot more about sexual health and sexuality in general than the average person (so I've been told).

Opportunities missed? Some people in positions of power (jobs, etc.) are very homophobic or biphobic. A married straight man can sort of "do no harm" in many people's eyes and so they will place him in positions before they would even consider a gay or bi person for those same positions or opportunities.

Religion? The Christian churches are largely anti-gay and anti-bisexual. They tend to treat us as outsiders not worthy to take part in services or more likely, do not trust us in positions of authority within the church.

Relationships? One has to walk on tiptoes at times to keep friendships. You would be surprised at how many supposedly good friends would dump a person once he lets out his true sexual orientation. And some of the worst offenders here are often people who are closeted homosexual or bisexual people themselves.

Answer 2

I would hope to think that my core values wouldn't have changed...I think being gay has made me more accepting and more tolerant of others...I regret that I will never have the option of having children(I don't want any--but the option would have been nice). I feel that I missed out on years of my life when I was in constant turmoil and just couldn't accept who I was. My life would probably be much the same as now...eventually life hits all people hard...whether gay or bi or straight or trans...as you get older you realize that most people have learned the same lessons through pain. Just some people have to be really old and even then they don't always get it. :)

Answer 3

I can only speak about what gifts I have from being gay. Who knows what being straight would have really meant. Another baby maker? We have a lot of those in my clan. Another fat American with an enlarged prostate?

Most importanly is my relationship with myself. I am fearless (totally fearless) in facing myself. I don't act on everything, but I am not afraid to admit what I want.

Secondly is my relationship with the world. I understand disenfranchized people in a way that very few middle class white people can. As a result, I do excellent work working with people who most people tag as "Throw aways". My spiritual practice is directly related to this. My understanding of the Jewish side of my family is related to this. Being gay is not for sissys. It takes guts.

Finally, is my relationship with my beloved. I can't imagine a life without him. Together we are an incredible, dynamic, sexy, successful, fun, and productive team. Our home is usualy filled with laughter and joy.

Answer 4

I would probably be the wimp my father was. Taking part in the gay revolution in the 50s 60s made me a much stronger man. It helped me overcome my self-doubt and insecurity. Carved over the entrance to the temple of Apollo was this "Man know thyself." This is what being gay has done for me. I know my self. It has also made me quite opinionated. This bothers some people, but I am comfortable with it.

Answer 5

I would likely be a straight, waspy, suburban, standard republican guy.
Being gay, though, has allowed me to see the world in far greater detail than I probably ever would have seen it otherwise. It's the difference between seeing something in 2D vs. 3D. I realized that the world as presented to me is NOT always as it seems.

Being gay was always communicated as negative, but I determined that that was incorrect - I was gay, and nothing like the negativity tossed around. Because of that, I now know that people at large can be just flat wrong about something, that there is much, much more to the human story. It's a lesson I can apply to anything I see in the world - other stereotypes, other cultures - anything that is usually held up as a simplified version of its real self - I have more of an ability to see the real thing. I feel very enlightened, mostly because I happened to be gay.

Answer 6

I'm sure I'd be pretty much the same person - being a lesbian is not the only thing that defines who I am.

I have no real idea of how to separate out what being gay has taught me as opposed to just being alive in the time and place I am has taught me; but I probably would not have met some of the people who have most influenced me, whom I have met through being gay.

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Answer 7

They mean what you do in the mattress room. it is ridiculous because of the fact I even have constantly did not comprehend why absolutely everyone cares what absolutely everyone else does of their very own mattress room and that's a very small area of the form you reside your existence. I believe you nonetheless. My sister is a lesbian - her existence-form is slightly distinctive than mine, yet not because of the fact of who we decide directly to sleep with. Her existence-form is distinctive because of the fact she works outdoors the abode and that i'm a stay at abode mom. She would not have youngsters, I do, we've distinctive income stages and she or he's a tightwad and that i tend to keep generally. yet we also have a brilliant style of areas of our existence that are incredibly comparable - we circulate to mattress previous due and upward push up early and we spend a brilliant style of time playing video games and speaking approximately how marvelous The scientific care is. And we the two think of we are large bada** while it includes any game.

Answer 8

I know that I would've been the same person, my sexuality has not marked who I am and the values that I have, I think that many things will be the same in turns of career and personality and the only thing that for sure was going to be different is my sexual preference.

Answer 9

I wouldn't have a bullet scar, or a scar on my skull from being bashed. I would have had the chance to grow up with my family instead of getting thrown out of the house, and know my brother and his children. I wouldn't have tried to dull my pain and self-loathing with drugs for so long.
I probably wouldn't be as strong, though, without having had hardships to work through.

Answer 10

I think the only thing it would change is my current relationship with my parents. I have not yet told them that i am bisexual. I hate hiding things from them, I wouldn't be lying to them if I were straight.