On other work matters, I still don't know if the new cute young Biology teacher is gay, I'm determined not to appear too keen and embarrass myself. It's not a subject which tends to come up during the working day. But I'm still curious what he tells students about his sexuality, the same with our new campus principal, who lives in a long-standing relationship with her (female) partner. "Gay marriage" is the Issue chosen this year for year 12 English students in their study of how language is used. It will be interesting to talk to the English teachers about how that goes. Incidentally, I got more confirmation about my "straight acting" credentials the other day. A student made a joke about me being gay. One of those jokes where the humour comes from the absurdity of the idea. Everyone just laughed.
Part of that comes from the age thing. An observation women have made over the years is how at a certain point, maybe around 40, they become invisible to men. Many speak of this as a liberating thing, no more wolf-whistles, mental undressing, sly gropes, all those forms of unwanted attention. Men too lose their sexuality in the eyes of the young. Either that, or we are seen as creepy old men, pedophiles even, just for remaining sexual beings. The horror and disgust kids have for the idea of their parents having sex is part of this. Well this isn't going to stop me having a sex life. But it is kind of liberating, the realisation that no-one under a certain age - 25, 35, 45 or whatever - will have even the slightest sexual interest in you. It gives you a freedom with a broad range of gay men, without that possibilty, ever-present when you're younger, that one person might be interested in the other.
Meanwhile in blog news two bloggers I've followed for a while have emerged from the ashes of their nuking:
Nerstes at Pornosophy and
Gay Andy at Gay Andy Blog. It looks like he has given Tumblr away.
Incidentally, it will be interesting to see how long it is before the morality police move in on Tumblr. There seems to be an awful lot of teenage gay boys posting suggestive photos of themselves, and an awful lot of associated soft-core porn. It's amazing what you can do with an animated gif.
Pic is for the rally in the city next Saturday. I'll be there!
Yeah, funny that.
ReplyDelete....Tumblr appears to have the same wording in their "terms of service" as Blogger; yet the "children" do seem to be "running wild"(???).
Rights? "Freedom of speech"?........ Who's kidding who? If they can give them to you, and then take them away; they're not "rights". They're privileges. We are subverted and controlled because "they" hold all the cards. A sad, but factual part of life. Look at the "corporate media" ( of which Google is a part).
"BZ".................. "FOGGY"..............
tumblr gives me a headache. With a few exceptions. I agree with FOGGY, the kids are going nutso, and apparently tumblr is too busy trying to keep it running (how often do you get the "we can't load that page" error cause they are overloaded) to worry about the near-porn that is being posted in their site.
ReplyDeletePeace <3
Jay
"Roger Ball - Headache" !
ReplyDeleteHello Billy
ReplyDeleteThe age thing is interesting - maybe that's why I get away with looking as often as I do, because at my age, I'm sexually invisible.
I suspect the Thought Police have already landed at Tumblr - some sites I've looked at have disappeared recently.
Congratulations on the NAB Cup win - footy seems to be a Collingwood benefit at the moment! I'm certainly looking forward to the start of the 'real thing' this week.
Love & best wishes
Sammy B
Get somebody else to ask him, and then, be smooth. You got this.
ReplyDeleteHmmm
ReplyDeleteIt looks weird how you describe the event with the student who suggested you were gay, it looks like the idea of people thinking how absurd it would be actually bothers you. Am I right?
I mean, sometimes I feel like I wanted people - everyone - to know I am gay, if this fact wouldn't change the way people see you: like saying you support Botafogo instead of Flamengo, using the carioca soccer analogy. It should be natural. So, the other radical expression of it - the absurd - bothers me sometimes, it seems like people who you like and who you know for such the longest time don't have a clue about such a big part of your personality.
Rapha!
It's not that it bothers me Rapha. I mean, that's the way it has always been. When I started I set out to ensure students didn't question my sexuality.
ReplyDeleteIt's a mix of emotions, the irony of the students' distorted image of what gays are like actually protecting me; happy that they feel comfortable enough with me, a teacher, to make those jokes; and yes, a little sadness at the double life we lead, that there have always been places where being open is just not worth it.
I would love to be completely out at work (i.e. to students), but it would make a hard job harder, and I don't know if I have the energy for that.
I didn't survive the Google Assassination Squads and hence I have to 'Follow' your blog again! I have no control at all over my original 'Michaelluke70' Profile at all because they have killed that log in!
ReplyDeleteI'm therefore now Following you again with my 'new' log-in!
And I have re-started an old blog: http://smuttystuff2.nibblebit.com/
Alas. Nerstes is now transmuted into a chicken, and a psychotic one. a chicken that hardly knows how to type.
ReplyDeleteI do owe you a huge e-mail with a few answers of my own. Sorry. I was going through an existential crisis. Obviously i still kinda do.
Thanks and sorry.