I have difficulty understanding the term ‘straight-acting’. What does it really mean? What does that entail? Drive a ute, muster cattle and have sex with a woman?
I did the first two for many years when I was growing up in the country. Does that mean I’m straight-acting?
Maybe it’s the division between the masculine and feminine that is so important. To be straight-acting means you’re not allowed to be a little girlie, not squeal with excitement at all. Boy roles are for boys and girl roles are for girls.
Does that mean you’re not allowed to cook or iron to be classified as straight-acting? When I was growing up, that was always done by the girls, while the boys helped dad.
I was on the right track from an early age. The scars on my legs from where I fell down mowing or got caught on a barbed-wire fence remind me of my straight-acting days.
It seems my job plays a huge role in this whole straight-acting saga. As soon as someone finds out what I do for a living, most of the time, all bets are off. No consideration that I am consistently striving to be the best of the best, working to make my business a success. They just see the dress.
Recently, two boys I was dating (one after the other) found out what I did, and they ran for the hills. I try to get them to know me first before judging me on my job.
“Our worlds are too far apart” or “If you had told me that from the start I wouldn’t have met you”.
A friend had a gentleman caller over. When the visitor spied two sewing machines, he asked my friend why they were there and if at any point in his life he had done drag.
Answering honestly, my friend said he did drag years ago but doesn’t any more. The guy dressed and left. (The sewing machines were to take up my friend’s suits for work.)
I have sex with men, I wear a dress for work, I can kill any creepy crawlies that come into the house, I can survive in the bush by myself and I squeal when I get excited. I am very proud to be gay, no acting. I wouldn’t change a thing, and nobody should want me to.
As always Maxi, very well said.
The moment I see or hear someone is Straight Acting, I lose interest…if I wanted an actor, I’d work at the theatre!
If you have to strive to fit a rigid stereotype, then you never get to express the real you and I find the whole thing extremely repressed and boring.
If you’re more masculine by nature, great but it doesn’t mean you can’t have your girly moments.
I grew up out west too and yep, can rough it up with the straight boys any day of the week (quite fun too lol) but if I have a girly moment, I won’t be racked with guilt, I’m being me! :)
Well said