Welcome to our World

Last night was a lovely gathering of friends and family eager to celebrate my spouse's photography exhibit at Brian Marki Gallery. There was a healthy turnout, though my virtual volcano of cream puffs was still standing when the crowds had thinned--because they really were a HEALTHY turnout. The gallery owner remarked when it was over that he knew we'd said it wasn't doing to be a drinking crowd but that he'd never had an opening like ours--he'd served two glasses of wine all night. I guess that being teetotallers, we hang out with a sober crowd.

There were two exceptions though. They'd had their marguarita's next door at Chez Jose before coming to the gathering, and were feeling quite loose by the time they breezed in the door with another friend who must have been the designated driver of the party. All three are my wife's girlfriends from work, great gals, straight gals, who enjoyed the company but decided to choose this chance to rib us about their desire to be included in our annual lesbian mothers' potluck. The fact that the group was started over ten years ago because we were a rarity, and desired solidarity in the face of opposition and prejudice doesn't seem to have occurred to the two women who were asking me if they could come to our potluck if they told me I had a nice ass.

No really. I quipped, "You can come if you carve the turkey and call me darlin" but they can't really, we just lost our buddy who did those important tasks to a job in Atlanta, followed by a job in Ohio. They have threatened (the marguarita drinkers) to show up on my doorstep claiming to have fallen in love. When one of them appealed to one of our fellow Brides of March at the buffet, saying she felt discriminated against, our pal told her, "Welcome to my world."

Good one.

So, it does seem a positive step that straight women want to attend our parties, and forget that we band together out of common oppression as well as common values--but there is something so insulting-ironic-odd about straight women "acting gay" in order to get in with a crowd. I doubt if they'd want the beatings, strange looks and legal inequities which come with our cool lesbian chic lifestyle.

It was a fun night. Loopy straight women, cream puffs and all.