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heteronormative
Aug. 1st, 2010 10:10 pmReturning my rental car, I noticed him at once, standing at the door of the shuttle bus. In white cargos, a sleeveless T, a baseball cap worn backwards, he had the urban uniform that signals. But it was his muscular build that announced itself a block away. Rugged enough to have had some rough contact sport in his past, he would be admired in any company. There was nothing 'gym-built' or forced about his figure, none of the odd proportions, the self-conscious display, the labored masculinity. He was the real thing. A hunk.
Then I got on the shuttle and discovered his little flock. Two young girls, blond and athletic, that could only belong to him. And his pretty Oriental girlfriend - Thai would be my guess. She had the same understated charm and attractiveness that he did.
On the shuttle I had a few more chances to study him. His muscular arms had a farmer's tan up to the shoulder. From the sides and collar of his T, there were soft coils of light brown hair peaking out. His handsome strong-jawed face sported a nice scratchy 5 o'clock shadow. If I say a blonde matinée idol - Dennis Quaid or Brian Keith - that would be the general type. But he was far better looking and beefier than either of them. He really didn't seem all that 'Texas' - there was a hint of worldliness about him. I imagined him in the midst of some required family travel. The whole group seemed to be spent, at the end of a long holiday.
When the shuttle arrived at Love Field, they let me exit ahead of them. At my gate, I was surprised to see them again. (This has oddly happened before. The last time was in San Francisco. I spent 4 or 5 days there roaming around by myself the week after this past Christmas, trying to do absolutely nothing. At SFO, the best looking man I had seen the entire week was getting on the same plane. I was all the more surprised that he continued with me the whole way to Amarillo. Once there, waiting for checked luggage, I was surprised again that there was no sign of wife and kids to greet him.)
The blond hunk boarded after me, but sat rather close. Thinking about my attraction to him, the word heteronormative suddenly planted itself among my thoughts. Someone used it in a response to a comment I wrote a week ago or so. I was curious if my attraction to men like this was heteronormative. Thinking about it a bit, I decided not. If he had given signals of being gay, I would have been no less attracted, and my eye contact, etc. would have been duly modulated. Who knows, I might have spoken to him.
It didn't help having been at the Eagle the night before (for all of 25 minutes), observing some of the local bear guys. In particular was a couple - I'll call them M. & M. They were in the midst a small entourage, animatedly chatting away. There is something distinctly not benign about their chatter. They are cliquish, gossipy, exclusive - and for lack of a better word - rather bitchy. They are probably just on the border of most people's idea of attractiveness. Israel tells me they are always positioning themselves with whatever stranger or group currently piques their interest as 'hot'. Maybe A-bear wannabes. (Is it still kosher to use either term?)
It's nothing new, but why oh why oh why, is it always there? I never see straight guys acting like twelve year-old girls. Maybe twelve year-old boys - but somehow that seems more interesting. Does that make me heteronormative?
Then I got on the shuttle and discovered his little flock. Two young girls, blond and athletic, that could only belong to him. And his pretty Oriental girlfriend - Thai would be my guess. She had the same understated charm and attractiveness that he did.
On the shuttle I had a few more chances to study him. His muscular arms had a farmer's tan up to the shoulder. From the sides and collar of his T, there were soft coils of light brown hair peaking out. His handsome strong-jawed face sported a nice scratchy 5 o'clock shadow. If I say a blonde matinée idol - Dennis Quaid or Brian Keith - that would be the general type. But he was far better looking and beefier than either of them. He really didn't seem all that 'Texas' - there was a hint of worldliness about him. I imagined him in the midst of some required family travel. The whole group seemed to be spent, at the end of a long holiday.
When the shuttle arrived at Love Field, they let me exit ahead of them. At my gate, I was surprised to see them again. (This has oddly happened before. The last time was in San Francisco. I spent 4 or 5 days there roaming around by myself the week after this past Christmas, trying to do absolutely nothing. At SFO, the best looking man I had seen the entire week was getting on the same plane. I was all the more surprised that he continued with me the whole way to Amarillo. Once there, waiting for checked luggage, I was surprised again that there was no sign of wife and kids to greet him.)
The blond hunk boarded after me, but sat rather close. Thinking about my attraction to him, the word heteronormative suddenly planted itself among my thoughts. Someone used it in a response to a comment I wrote a week ago or so. I was curious if my attraction to men like this was heteronormative. Thinking about it a bit, I decided not. If he had given signals of being gay, I would have been no less attracted, and my eye contact, etc. would have been duly modulated. Who knows, I might have spoken to him.
It didn't help having been at the Eagle the night before (for all of 25 minutes), observing some of the local bear guys. In particular was a couple - I'll call them M. & M. They were in the midst a small entourage, animatedly chatting away. There is something distinctly not benign about their chatter. They are cliquish, gossipy, exclusive - and for lack of a better word - rather bitchy. They are probably just on the border of most people's idea of attractiveness. Israel tells me they are always positioning themselves with whatever stranger or group currently piques their interest as 'hot'. Maybe A-bear wannabes. (Is it still kosher to use either term?)
It's nothing new, but why oh why oh why, is it always there? I never see straight guys acting like twelve year-old girls. Maybe twelve year-old boys - but somehow that seems more interesting. Does that make me heteronormative?
