How To “Recruit” Straight People
Pink is for girls
Blue is for boys
Girls should be passive
Boys make the noise
Girls given dolls
Boys given trucks
Girls are called “pretty”
Boys are young bucks
Betsy gets yelled at
if she steals Bill’s stuff
Billy, a whoopin’ if he
sneaks powder puff
If Billy weeps
while getting the switch
He’s told “boys don’t cry”
and there is the hitch
Billy’s a sweet soul
who dresses in pink
Betty plays hockey
at the local ice rink
Much to chagrin of their
parents who shudder
Their kids are not from
the right cookie cutter
Forward to adults
Billy married, by force
Goes ‘out’ at night
His wife ponders divorce
Bett moved to SoCal
She broke her folks’ charge
On the beach playing volleyball
Smiles – livin’ large
© 2014 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Illustration also by Amy; please feel free to use it for stereotyping examples.
I hear all about “homosexual recruiting” all the time from “Christians” and FOXophiles; nothing I say can convince them. Societal convention steers kids the “right way.” We are conditioned from birth, which is why so many LGBTQs suffer years of guilt and shame in silence. Some children of the “very Christian” commit suicide.
Support kids when they have the courage to come out of the closet – we did, and our reward is an incredible relationship with Riley. Peace, Amy
Sharp Little Pencil 
coalblack
I have no words. My own family would never stand up for me the way you do for Riley and all the others like her, and like me. You’re awesome!
Sharp Little Pencil
It’s all about the willingness to move out of one’s comfort zone and expectations of/for our children. Riley’s my “only,” but I told her she didn’t “owe” me grandchildren or anything, and that anyone she brought home – Anglo, Latino, Black, Purple, whatever gender, was cool with me. And later, cool with Lex. So she had a head start on choosing…but we didn’t “recruit” her by letting know options were open, you know? She was set free to be honest. Love, A
ihatepoetry
I love you Ameleh! This is exactly perfect!
esp.
Much to chagrin of their
parents who shudder
Their kids are not from
the right cookie cutter
Beautiful! Bravo!
brian miller
ugh. boys dont cry…heard that a time or two…and you wonder why men have emotional detachment issues…or why we have so many issues, forcing people into boxes…and you will never convince them…when they let fear drive them…
Sharp Little Pencil
Preachin to the choir, man, and isn’t it frustrating??
oldegg
It is so simple isn’t it? “Judge not lest you be judged.”
Sharp Little Pencil
Don’t you wish Evangelicals would “cherry pick” that one instead of all the mistranslated BS from Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Romans!
http://vivinfrance.wordpress.com
You tell the story so well.
gingerfightback
Why are the religious so obsessed with sex?
Sara v
Peace indeed. It always galls me how judgmental the RR can be, when the teachings of their Savior are just the opposite–cue PPM “When will they ever learn, when will they eeevvvveeerrr learn? Thank you as always for the wit and wisdom 🙂
Kenia Cris
I just adore it! This is smart and so fun to read. :*
Raven Spirit
I LOVE THIS POEM! I think that you capture some of the anguish felt by so many of the LGBT community – from birth on. It bothers me terribly. When just a pubescent child with parents who could not cope – a gay man became like a spiritual father to me. It was such a blessing. He may have been the most important person in my late childhood.
Kimiko Martinez
Love love love this. Great story. Great imagery. Just all-around lovely… And accurate.
Working for the LGBTQ community every day, I hear so many stories just like this. We’ve come so far, and still have SO far to go.
Helen
Way back 1982 if a gay man had not hired a straight 41 year old entry level divorced mom of four … Well, just let me say my life was forever changed~in the most wonderful way. I learned so much about humanity and inclusion during the twenty years that followed …
Sharp Little Pencil
And that was the beginning of the HIV slaughter, right about there. Isn’t it amazing how we are led on these paths, not by an unseen creatore (my own opinion), but probably by listening within? And who else would be more sensitive to your needs at that time, right? Thanks, Helen. Amy
Björn Rudberg (brudberg)
Ah.. first thank you for your great comments.. and I could not agree more… and one does not even have to be gay to love to dress in pink… as a matter of fact I do it a lot… but why it should matter is beyond me.. The nursery rhyme style is so befitting here too…
Roger Green
The odd thing is that the color distinctions weren’t always that clear: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2831/was-pink-originally-the-color-for-boys-and-blue-for-girls