DannyBoyinExile

Well, we got over the shock of having a gender-bender in the laundry, and lived happily ever after. (Not me and him, I mean, but the laundry in general.) I made it a point to always be kind and respectful to him, and never shunned or belittled him. As far as I’m concerned, that’s all I COULD do. Being a good person means being good to everybody, and not just your favorite people.
Before long, his de-facto spot on the bench was right next to me – and I was beginning to be reminded of the old Pepe LePew cartoons, where the skunk is always chasing the cat. (Alas, I was the cat!)
Since I’m the guy who trained him, as far as how things worked on the folding table, I clearly OVERTRAINED him – because after two days he was promoted, and I’m still on the folding table. Now he’ll receive more training from the pressers (with adequate supervision, I hope!), and I wish him the best of luck in his new position. (Shirt Squeezer!)
A few days later, I’m minding my own business, when Sergeant McFrown calls me. (Names have been changed, to protect the guilty.) “Matthews! This is a new guy, and he’ll be working with y’all now. Do me a favor and show him around, and show him how everything goes on the folding table.” As a Laundry Sergeant, her wish is my command, so I simply nodded my head and got right to it.
As soon as I started talking to him, I realized that he was a gender bender, too. (WTF?) I couldn’t help but laugh (two in a row?), but it actually kinda bothered me a little bit. Not that I minded him being gay, of course, I mean why she’s asking ME to train them.
My first thought was, “What am I, the Gay Ambassador or something?” Which was immediately followed by my second thought: “I hope she doesn’t think I’M gay, because of the way I talked and joked with the first one!”
It gave me such a complex that I had to question a friend of mine about it. He works in the office, so laundry politics are his specialty. I explained the situation, and wondered whether the lady had any misconceptions about me, because of the way I let the other one lay on the bench with his head in my lap… (just kidding!)
Seriously, though, some people COULD get the wrong impression from the way he’d sit a little too close to me on the bench, or playfully rest his elbow on my shoulder as he was talking – which I’d usually shy away from, in my own defense!
Just that quickly, I realized that I had a misconception about the word homophobia. I’d always taken it literally, as in fear of homosexuals – which made no sense to me. What man in his right mind would be afraid of a man who thinks he’s a woman? That’s like being afraid of a woman – and the only woman I’m afraid of is my wife! 🙂
I realized that homophobia isn’t so much the fear of homosexuals as it is the fear that people will look at YOU as if you’re a homosexual for associating with them too much. And I was a little guilty of it.
My homeboy (the straight one, I mean!) told me that my worries couldn’t be further from the truth. He said it was a really GOOD thing that the lady asked me to train them, because it shows that she knows I know my job, I know how to get along with people – and she knew I’d be fair with them, without being inappropriate in any way.
So I got over my homophobia, and trained the new tranny. (I mean, trainee!) 🙂 We got along just fine – and I trained him so well that he, too, was quickly promoted. In fact, he works alongside the other gender bender with the pressers – so I’ve given up on ever trying to become a presser. It would almost be like appearing on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy! (just kidding)
I may not become a perfect person overnight. But I am TRYING to better myself. Maybe that puts me above the people who don’t want to change – or the people who feel that they’re already so good that don’t NEED to change.
There will always be people who don’t consider me to be a very good person. But I TRY to be, and that should count for something. So says DannyBoy.