So I just started reading the book Beyond Queer by Bruce Bawer, which thus far is incredibly more interesting than Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander), when I came across this little passage. And it made me laugh, especially when I think about how Kathy Griffin often says she “speaks fluent gay”, so now I’m sharing it with you.
“When gays speak about themselves, they are speaking one language; when most straight people speak about gays, they are speaking another. Most heterosexuals look at gay lives the way I look at a page of German. I may be able to pick out a few familiar words, but I feel awkward when I use them, and if I try to put together a sentence I’m likely to find myself saying something I don’t mean at all, perhaps even something offensive or hurtful.”
This of course makes most gay people bilingual since we usually grew up in straight culture.