Opinion: I’m Sick Of The Gay Hoax

If you grew up being gay, you likely earned your rite of passage. You walked through hallways where vicious words were thrown your way. You were shoved into lockers, and threats were made to you. You likely sat up at night, thinking about how you didn’t fit in, and mulling over if you ever would. You felt pangs of guilt and fright in your chest whenever the thought of having to tell others that you were “different” crossed your mind. Then, you grew up, told others, and that all became a thing of the past. A weight was lifted off of your shoulders, and you were finally comfortable in your own skin. 

Fortunately, in modern times, more people than ever are accepting of “gay.” While I think it’s ridiculous that it’s something that they have to be accepting of, the fact is that todays world is the most tolerant world to date that gay people have faced, and things only seem to be getting better. 

However, I have decided there is an issue that it is time to take a stand on, as it is only making us as a people- not just as gay people, but as people in general: I am sick of the gay hoax. 

What is the gay hoax, you may wonder? No it’s not that time that Tom Cruise jumped up and down on Oprah’s couch with glee insisting he loves women. No, friends, it’s not the numerous times John Travolta may have winked at you in the steam room but then quickly assured Olivia Newton John that she’s the one that he wants. 

The gay hoax, as I’m referring to it, is the sudden outpouring of wanting to bring light to gay issues by creating fake scenarios. 

The first of these happened back in November, when a lesbian waitress in New Jersey claimed she was left a note that people refused to tip her due to disagreeing with her lifestyle.

She then went on to contact gay rights organizations, and ended up getting thousands of dollars in tips sent to a paypal account, as everyone was disgraced at how heartless and bigoted someone could be. Then, it all turned out to be a hoax, and she admitted she made it up. While certain broke housewives likely were kicking themselves for not thinking of such a genius plan themselves, the fact is that this is disgusting for a multitude of reasons. 

One is that it does nothing to help the “gay agenda.” Rather than making people more accepting, it draws negative attention to the gay community and makes it look like we will make any desperate attempt to bring light to gay rights, even if that means completely making up a situation. It also makes gay people look desperate for attention, perhaps attention they did not receive growing up. This girl may not have been the popular girl in high school, but suddenly she was the center of national attention. In addition, it draws people to infer that there IS something wrong with gay people, as something would have to be wrong with you to make up an entire situation. Finally, it draws one to question the validity of other gay rights issues, as this one was completely staged. 

Of course I realize this was only one incident, and luckily this quickly died down. This was until this past week, when another incident happened. The story was that two gay Dads sent out a birthday invitation for their daughter, and received a nasty note back from a mother, saying she “would not subject her son” to their lifestyle. I immediately thought it sounded all too similar to the last situation, but for a little bit this too went on as a true story. 

Wouldn’t you know it- it suddenly comes out that it, too, was a hoax. This time, it was two radio DJs in Long Island who had posted the image to Facebook and admitted to making up the story since they “wanted to create discussion on a highly passionate topic.” Clearly, there would have been no other way of creating discussion, especially since they’re not people with a public voice, or anything. It is astounding to me that they could think of no better way to discuss gay rights and people who are anti-gay then to completely make up a situation that, yet again, makes gay people look bad. 

The moral of the story is this: I am sick of the gay hoax and it needs to stop. It is doing nothing to help gay people move forward in terms of acceptance, but tons to make them move back.

I, for one, am proud. I am proud to live in a world where gay people are becoming more accepted. I am proud to live in a world where I can get married without having to do so in a dark basement. I am proud to live in a world where many people view being gay as no different than being straight. 

Each time one of these gay hoaxes happens, I am not proud. I am not proud that ANY human being would lie for attention. It’s pathetic, and it does nothing to push equality and acceptance forward. 

I am urging us to keep doing what we have been- pushing for equality, working for acceptance, and – more than anything- existing. I am certain that if we stop the gay hoaxes, we will continue to be accepted simply for who we are: human beings, just like the rest.