A Short Story about Being Human
Continued from Part 2
“It’s simple. … Came to me on that same bus trip after I talked to those lesbians. So here goes: I see you’re wearing a wedding ring and I’d bet a couple of Ben Franklins that you’re not married to someone of the same sex, right?”
“Right, yeah.”
“So when did you choose to be attracted to the opposite sex?”
“… … …”
“No hurry. I’ll just keep sipping on my coffee while you think about—”
“No, no. I mean, I didn’t choose to be attracted to the opposite sex. It’s just the way it’s supposed to be.”
“Ah-ah-ah. Sorry, but you can’t go there. Two totally different things. Saying it’s supposed to be that way is heading right back to your belief system and some holy text … not to mention all those protest signs that say things like ‘Fags Burn in Hell’ and ‘God Is Your Enemy’ and—Oh, how about ‘God Abhors You’? … G-A-Y. Get it? Yeah, I figure some people had signs like that this morning, right?”
“Yeah, but those are haters and—”
“Agreed, agreed. So let’s just leave all that religious belief stuff to the side for just a minute, okay? Let’s stick with our personal experiences of attraction. I can one hundred percent—heck, one thousand percent—say that I have absolutely zero attraction to anyone of the same gender, okay? I’m talking like none, and I never have. And you’d say the same, right?”
“Yeah.”
“But the opposite gender? Now you’re talking! When someone really turns me on—physically, emotionally, whatever—it’s just there, you know? I mean, tongue-tied, swooning, tingly skin … the whole nine yards. I’m betting you capeesh, because you got married and it was probably because you fell in love with someone, am I right?”
“Well, yeah … sure.”
“And it was never a choice for me. Never. I liked the opposite sex for as long as I can remember. And I never had my parents or a priest or pastor or imam or whatever tell me that I needed to like the opposite sex because it was the right way—the moral way. It was just there. And I bet it was the same for you, yeah?”
“Well … yeah. I mean, sure, I see what you’re saying, but it still goes against—”
“Nope, sorry. Like I said, you can’t go there … running back to a belief system. Because you just said no one had to tell you to be attracted to a certain gender since it would be right and moral, because that’s based on some belief system—a human construct. What we’re talking about now is attraction—to one gender or more than one or maybe even none at all. It’s what we feel. What we experience inside as people … as human beings—no belief systems or constructs or labels involved. Because people are people.”
“That’s … uh …”
“I know, right? Makes you think, don’t it? … All right, look, I gotta head ’cause my friends are expecting me soon. But thanks for talking. Really appreciate it.”
“Um … yeah … sure.”
“Later!”
The End