I'm 46 now. I and my partner went grocery shopping at a "new store".
A little back history here, we have lived at the same place for over 14 years, we have shopped at the same store for 13 of those years. Last year that store closed. Not only was it convenient, it was also a very friendly place with lots of LGBT employees. thus a tolerant if not down right embracing environment for my partner and I and the other dozen gay couples in the general local area that used that store.
Two days ago we are shopping and going through the general shopping conversations. You know the type, were I am pointing out the great prices on stuff he won't eat like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower. Him all but begging me for sweats, soda, trash foods - the typical 'couple's arguments' :biggrin: .
Behind me I hear the words "faggots" muttered by some Latino guy. Well that single word put me on high alert and I noticed that a lot of males were looking at us as we were shopping. A few more muttered and no so muttered comments. Something about pussys - My understanding of Mexican Spanish is not that good - he may have been talking about
Gatos and I only heard
puta. :tongue:
If looks could kill you all would be going to at least a dozen funerals for my partner and I this week.
Now I'm not certain, this is a mostly Mexican crowd - so perhaps I was just too white for them? Or did they realize that the two gentlemen shopping had a household? After all my partner calls me sweetie all the time and he doesn't stop at the store...
My point, haters are going to hate - no matter where you are, who you are with and how old you get.
You have to grow a thick skin and learn how to defend yourself if things turn to physical violence. I would suggest getting a few classes in Jujutsu and in personal self defense.
Jujutsu is nice because you can use it for meditative purposes (not necessarily as a weapon). Of course you are learning as a form of self defense, not to start fights or go on the offensive. Thus you don't strike out until someone else throws or attempts to throw a punch - then rip off their head and shove it up their ass until they puke.
I ignore them, I do not answer back, but I let them know I am watching - I don't dare them with my eyes, I don't instigate, but if push comes to shove this old elf can really throw down and whoop ass. I have had to defend myself physically more than once - A lot less in this 21st century than in the 1980's.
Which brings me to the good news part. Tolerance and acceptance of LGBT is on the rise. When I was your age homophobia was more physical, baseball bats, gang beatings an other unfair ways to wage violence. Usually, or typically it was a gang of thugs who were so afraid of a sissy that they had to gang up in groups of 3 or more against one 'girly-sissy'....
Laws now stand in our favor. I recall the police not even bothering to take a complaint because the victim was homosexual (obviously homosexual). Today police officers are suspended for such behavior, and there are many new 'hate crime' laws out there too.
I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that by the time you are 45 (my age) that homophobia will go the way of the dinosaur - it won't. After all hatred of Jews, hatred of Blacks, hatred of a lot of other people considered 'equal' by the majority still abounds. Thus hatred of you for being gay is going to exist - but in far less quantities than it does today.