Normality

Wow.

I remember when I first heard about homosexuality, a tv show, where that was the big, horrible, secret. Took me a while and some surreptitious library research, to figure out what that meant. I seem to remember not being all that impressed with the answer, but I was not clear what sex involved under "normal" conditions either. Mostly, I was simply curious.

A woman I knew from work, when I was in college, included me on outings, with the introduction of her "gay friend." He didn't seem any different to me, although the curiosity continued, and I kept watching him for any signs of peculiarity. He was a bit slim and fussy, but no more so than other men I knew.

Found out one of my dearest friends in high school was at least bisexual, from a girlfriend of his who happened to be in a class of mine. I'd completely fallen out of touch with anyone from that time, so I found this interesting, but academic. Turns out, years later we found each other and talked, he was gay, but had experimented a bit. Everything I'd seen about him as teens, seemed consistent with him being gay. Still, all interesting, but hardly shocking, and certainly not disturbing. I knew, but didn't know what it was that I knew. No words to describe it. More people I knew in college came out, or didn't but might as well have, and I still couldn't see why anyone would get their knickers in a twist over it all. Unless that was what they were into, of course. Twisted knickers. Sorry.

I wondered, in a vague way, what a sexual encounter with another woman would be like, but the idea, beyond a bit of mild necking, bored me to bits. Meh. So, I guess I'm not slanted that way, but not emphatically so. Never thought it was anything but hard wiring, as it were.

The whole issue seems such a huge nothing to me, I can't imagine why anyone is angry or upset about it. I know they are, but the whole why of it leaves me utterly baffled. Hell, we don't understand what normal sexuality is, how can we legislate or moralize on variations? Most of the scientific breakthroughs have to do with finding when the rules seem to be broken, not when everything is "normal." If indeed, anything really is normal. Perhaps we are all unique in our kinks, with only generalized consensus on the majority.

In short, I'm relieved in my deepest heart that our political system did not take a big step back, but chose to support human rights, liberty, and an open minded approach to humanity. Good. Finally.

Sheesh.