By Gio Arteaga
Yea, I’m gay! Neither do I flaunt it around, nor do I try to make it my personality; but it is a part of me nonetheless. For 6,513 days—from my birth, to the day this very issue was released—the sheer existence of men has always made me… a little bit… uncomfortable. NOW, before any of my male peers—or really anyone male involved in my life—decides to take a gander at this article, no, I’m not hating on you in any way because why would I take the initiative to be friends with you just to be uncomfortable? However, this article is not to hate on any specified category of men, but to talk about the stereotype associated with gay men that evokes this discomfort. In no way is this meant to relate to all gay men, nor is this meant to victimize gay men—simply just a personal experience!
The stereotypical 18 year old straight man is a specimen that needs to be studied. Some have short hair, some long, accessorized with shorts and whatever t-shirt they can somehow find in their abyss they somehow call a closet. To then set foot out of the door into their Ford F150’s and drive—as though they have life insurance! It’s a stereotype in itself to put all men into this category (but for simplicity’s sake, this is 70% of Westmont’s population). Being gay in the U.S. in 2026 isn’t as hard as people make it to be. Yes, there are people who do choose to be rude and make insensitive jokes, but in other parts of the world, it’s not the same story. From my personal experience, being gay now is easier; however, it hasn’t always been that way. I came out in the beginning of middle school all the way into high school. Something I observed was that coming out while having straight friends at the same time was difficult since all my straight friends thought I summoned feelings for them—when let’s be real, we’re 12 years old and you’re chopped. Having a seemingly “new” identity was hard because people always only saw my “gayness” over any other quality I had; and with straight men having massive egos, it was hard making friends with guys my own age. It sucked at the time, but being gay also came with every girl and their MOTHER wanting a gay best friend, so while men had seemingly vanished from my life, I always had an amazing support system.
Even now, some of my closest friends are guys, but sometimes they make a joke here and there that goes something like: “yo I don’t be swinging that way” or “AYE YOO THATS GAY.” For me, I’m secure enough in my identity to not take these to heart; and sometimes it’s really funny to almost go along with it. However, one difference is I know that my friends aren’t doing or saying anything to elicit hate or to make me feel weird; but for others, it’s not always the case. There exists so much hate within the world, and stereotypes are the foundation for everything wrong with how we view other people. Whether this be race, gender, identity, characteristics, physical/mental health, or anything used to describe a person, using stereotypes is harmful in almost any context; and while in my own case, someone making a joke doesn’t hurt me, you never know what someone else is going through. So I urge everyone to do your own research, educate yourself, and trust and believe that not every gay person is hitting on you.