"so the media created a character type that could be seen from a mile away. Flamboyant, often sharp-tongued, and boldly stylish."

But of course, non-queer people sometimes fit this stereotype too. I'm thinking of a famous conservative American political thinker and columnist from decades past. He was practically as flaming as the very gay Truman Capote, except he wasn't gay.

To this day, people doubt that, but he really wasn't, at least going by reams of evidence as recounted by his family, friends, and his (very many) women lovers.

It's funny that people discount all this, firmly insisting he had to be gay because of the way he dressed and the way he talked.

On the other side of the coin, I can't even count how many of my close gay friends don't have a stylish bone in their body. And that goes for me too! 😂

When my first long-term partner and I got together, one of the benefits I was incredibly thankful for is that I had somebody to go shopping with me and pick out my clothes. That's how bad things were. 😉

These days, single, I'm afraid I'm far from a fashion plate.

But I'm still gay, and that's okay. Of course it might be less okay if I were trying to date ...

And that's kind of a problem we impose on ourselves.