Home > Arts & Culture > "The Big Gay Sketch Show’s" Straight Girl Speaks Out
"The Big Gay Sketch Show’s" Straight Girl Speaks Out
By Nicol Paone
It's a shame when people have preconceived notions about a show that presents a certain sexual point of view. Take it from me - the only straight girl on The Big Gay Sketch Show! - yes it's big and it's gay and it's a sketch show but no, people aren't running for the hills, the halls of the studio are not crowded with ball gags, leather chaps and PFLAG brochures and people don't go around without any clothing just because the show is supposed to be all about sex.
"Why are we so afraid of the gay boogieman? Instead of being afraid, we should try to understand things that we don’t know and welcome different opinions, lifestyles, and religions" -Nicol Paone
It's hard for many people to understand and accept the fact that our show is funny even if most of the actors and writers happen to be gay. After all - isn't it the responsibility of the straight society to force them to be more like us? At the very least shouldn't we flush them out of the closet so we can separate them from us?
People constantly ask me what it is like to be on a gay show as if there is some difference from what it's like being a character on a straight show. To be fair I am asked similar questions from reporters writing for gay publications who want to know how weird it is for me to be on the show.
As a straight person, how could I possibly understand gays when all I really care about is getting married, being thin, and having children - right? How could I possibly get it because gays don't have a single thing in common with straight people? I'm not sure how to answer these questions other than to say that acting on this show is like being on any other show - it has its pluses and minuses.
What I do know is that as a nation and as a universe we are all too concerned with labels. We want to put everything neatly inside a box so we can judge it without actually having to think about it. We want to just check it off as good or bad, right or wrong and be on our way because we have a lot of errands to run!
But life doesn't work like that. There are a hell of a lot of gray areas, and these gray areas make us uncomfortable. Instead of dealing with the gray, we put up barriers that can best be described as judgment, separation and fear.
The world is full of people who establish these kinds of barriers. They tell gays that their feelings are wrong, that their love is wrong. But when is love ever wrong? And what makes these people know more about love?
While some progressive countries like Belgium and the Netherlands allow gays to marry, most countries around the world don't. Even in America, the home where people are presumably born equal - gay marriage is illegal. Sure some states throw half-baked considerations to gays and allow civil unions and partnerships - but a civil union is not the same as marriage.
Gaining acceptance as being a human being is tough for gays. Priests tell their followers that the gay lifestyle is a sin even as some Catholic priests molest young boys on the side. Government officials vehemently oppose gay marriage in their rhetoric but think nothing of soliciting sex from teenage girls and boys.
Why are we so afraid the gay boogieman? Instead of being afraid, we should try to understand things that we don't know and welcome different opinions, lifestyles, and religions.
Recently I saw a woman wearing a rainbow jumpsuit. She was out and proud despite the fact that her rainbow jumpsuit with rainbow suspenders was not exactly the best fashion statement for her or anyone else for that matter....trust me on that! She was obviously forcing us to open our eyes and look at her and acknowledge her presence. I definitely noticed - I almost got into a car accident from the glare off of her combat boots. But know this - that woman is going to keep on wearing what she's wearing regardless of what we might think and I say keep on fighting rainbow woman.
