In a panic to put together a Powerpoint demonstration for work, featuring head shots of me and my colleagues, I realized I didn't have a good pic. I set up a makeshift backdrop, put on a nice shirt and tie, and my favorite Fedora.
I liked the pic and posted it on Facebook. It generated some buzz, included my old college roommate commenting "that's so gay".
It caused me to stop and think: what is "gay" about a Fedora? This hat has a wonderful history, harkening back to a time where every respectable man (gay OR straight) wore one.
Somewhere along the way men stopped wearing hats, and now it is apparently a gay accessory...so be it.
At 37 years old I am finally at a place where I am comfortable wearing what I want when I want. I don't care if a Fedora seems flamboyant: I think its fashionable, unique and a signature piece I wear. Just because it's gay today doesn't mean it will be gay tomorrow.
Stereotypes of gay men are becoming more and more difficult to uphold. The bear community flies in the face of any stereotype of gay men as effeminate and "soft". The Gay Games features top athletes in different sports that, if videotaped and aired on the nightly news would look no different than any other athletic coverage.
I think it is becoming increasingly difficult to label things as "gay"...and that's a good thing. The sooner we can get away from marginalizing people's choices by trying to label them questioningly the happier, and healthier our society will become.
I wore my Fedora tonight to choir rehearsal: the gays loved it! When I got home, I put the hat back in my closet, and spied my full-length Matrix jacket in the back of my closet, its smooth lines and supple leather beckoning me...
After all...tomorrow is another day!
I personally love fedoras and think they are a perfectly acceptable accessory no matter what. You should come to Seoul. Every guy has one here. ^_^ Along with their shiny suits and rhinestone ties...
ReplyDelete