Gay panic and HNT
Thursday, December 20, 2007 | Labels: body image, gay, gay panic, half-nekkid thursday, hnt |For the post
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Yesterday we had a Holiday Yankee Swap (also called a White Elephant gift exchange) where people from all over the building took part.
The funny thing about a Yankee Swap is that while some people don't want their claimed present to be stolen - since they like it - others want someone to steal their gift, because they don't like the gift with which they ended up.
So when each new person opens a gift and then looks around the room, some people try to melt into the background with their bottle of wine or nips of booze, while others fanatically flail their stress-relief ball in the air, screaming the benefits of ball-squeezing to reduce stress.
One person opened what I would have viewed as a pretty ok gift for a $5 range: a few nip-bottles of different liquors and a CD of Christmas music from the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. I'm not into christmas carols once Christmas is over, but liquor is liquor. I also wondered who gave that gift (no, it wasn't me - my gift was ALL liquor).
Anyway, this person stole another guy's gift, which was more functional in New England - a car snow-shovel.
The look on the face of the guy who was now in possession of the liquor and Gay Men's Chorus Christmas CD was one of mass confusion. He seemed to want the liquor, but not the CD. He became actively jittery about it. He really did not want to have the CD. Did he not like Christmas carols?
When it came my turn, I was torn - do I "steal" his gift and relieve his evident discomfort? I mean there's liquor there, and my gift had none, right? Or do I not, because I think he should listen to more choral music.
I decided to go for someone else's liquor gift.
After the game he traded the CD for a squeeze-ball stress reliever, I kid you not.
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I wondered how I would have dealt with it if I knew this person better or worked closely with him. He seems to have had little exposure to Teh Gheys and apparently thinks you can catch gay from a CD.
This, in my years so far, is something I haven't really had to deal with. I guess I've been lucky that most of my co-workers have been either very accepting or don't really care. I've never been forced to deal with someone who could conceivably be scared by my very presence.
So, now I'm thinking hard about it: I've never been in a situation where I thought: maybe I should say, "Hey, dude, I'm gay. If you're uncomfortable about a fucking CD, then you should sure as fuck be frightened of me."
How will I deal with this in the future?
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Warning:
A blatantly ridiculous segway to a Half-Nekkid Thursday pic follows. As some know, I do these sporadically. But, please read the disclaimer about what HNT is at the beginning of last week's post.(end of warning)
As I begin to concentrate on how to deal with these issues, I am reminded that I've been doing a lot of concentration curls. Actually, a whole boatload of arm curls.
(Get it? "Thinking" to "concentrating" to "concentration curls"? Now I can show a picture of my arm! I know, pathetic. Well, the whole HNT thing is contrived but fun, isn't it?)
In contrast to my less-certain assessment of other parts of me, I was struck by what I was able to do after an arm workout this Wednesday:
I'm not even questioning if it's good. I'm just astonished that I could ever achieve this.
I really should point out that I owe this, in part, to the workout regime I've been using. I'm not much into advertising (especially since no one pays me... sigh) but it really is this program - the "crazy" workout at home program to which I've alluded here and there - that pulled things together for me.
I haven't even followed it rigidly, but it has made significant changes in me since last year. Compare last week's pics to the picture on the right in this post from May.
My thought is that anyone can make dramatic changes in themselves and there are many ways to achieve this. For physical improvements, this program happens to be the way that helped do it for me.
Anyway, happy Half-Nekkid Thursday!
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WOW! What a nice set of biceps you have! Congrats!!! That will go well with your nice size porno ______s.
About the $5 gift game. That is too low. At that price... almost everything is going to be crappy. The only fun part is seeing if anything can be bought for $5 and be considered "a good gift". I would totally suck trying to find something good for only $5.
Liquor?!?!? I hardly know 'er! *rimshot*
Damn if your pic didn't give me a hard-on...LOL! Sorry, TMI...
The gay panic story is HILARIOUS. I don't think he's afraid of you. I think he's afraid you will SING to him. :-)
Good looking arm. we have similar HNT posts today.
Thanks for mentioning that workout program. I almost bought the DVD's about a month ago when I saw it on late-night TV.
Something about it made it seem like it was something that would really work. Not like other infomerical crap. Now that I see what his done for you.... I'm SOLD!
Congrats on the muscle progress. If you find the home regimen working for you and you are happy with the results, then stick with it. No need to spend money on a gym. You can probably find a heavier set of weights for pretty cheap when you are ready to go to the next level.
Nice biceps - now some pics of your butt would be nice. Happy Holidays.
The guy who was freaked about a GMC CD chose a squeeze-ball stress reliever? I know lots of gay men who are champion squeeze ball stress relievers. He sounds confused to me.
Brett: Thanks. It IS the best possible view, though. just after a workout and very flexed. Not normally like that. Re: $5 swap - true... not my rules, though.
YOY: Thanks for coming, I'll be at the Yuk-Yuk hut all week!
dragonfly: Really? Cool!
Tony: Yes, but yours was more artful. Re: the workout... One pointer. If you order it, just order the DVDs. DO NOT order the supplements. There's been some dodgy stuff some people have experienced with the supplement order system. I think if you just order the DVDs ONLY, you'll be fine.
David: I kind of agree. I bought some adjustable weights recently. I may still consider a gym if only to actually be with people some times.
RG: No way. (1) not worth the view. And (2) I think I draw the line here at NSFW pics... usually.
Will: Well, I think he's confused about what/who gay guys are. I don't think he's sexually confused, though, if that's what you meant. Not at all - he's straight.
One of my favorite parts of this pic is the little whiff of black pit hair....weird and wild, I know. But, hey, it's me. Sexy and handsome that area is....