Red Right (Wing) Hand

Yesterday, after sleeping in and then watching Luis Buñuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, I headed out to Diamond Bar to meet Jaime for sushi. 

I don't understand Buñuel's films.  If anyone would care to explain them to me I would be immensely grateful.

Jaime and I had our sushi and then we went to Borders to purchase some reading material.  Jaime and I have such fun.  She bought the newest issue of Bust and Augusten Burroughs's Running with Scissors.  I had decided I wanted to buy Sylvia Plath's Ariel, and after reading the jacket, I also decided to get Augusten Burroughs's Dry.  We promised that after reading the Burroughs books we would trade.  (I don't give a hoot about Bust and she's read Ariel.)

Today I went out to my parents' house for Father's Day.  I brought coffee with me.  Today my parents exhausted me.  I think it's really my brother and sister who make me the most tired.  My brother is more politically ignorant than I think is humanly possible.  How can anyone be that ignorant?!  I have a family full of far-right conservatives.  Now, I am not a far-left liberal (no matter what the quiz says), but when my family and I talk politics I am bound to get a little incensed/depressed/exasperated.  They are just so... retarded. 

I'll explain why I've decided to vote for John Kerry a little later in the week.

Sometimes I can handle Michael.  Sometimes he's funny.  Sometimes he amuses me.  Sometimes he's clever.  Today he just rubbed me the wrong way.  We have these conversations that center around whether I would be a liberal if I were straight or whether I would still be an atheist if I were straight.

Would I still be an ateist if I weren't a gay man?  Would I still be an artist if I weren't a gay man?  Would I still be a liberal if I weren't a gay man?  These questions are actually unacceptable to me.  They have no basis in reality.  Because the answer is: "I would be a gay man.  I would be a liberal and an artist and an atheist and a gay man.  No matter what."  And then I start to actually consider the question... I would fit in with this family so much better if I weren't a gay man and if I weren't a liberal and if I weren't an atheist and—dare I say it—if I weren't an artist.  It would all be so much easier for them.  But I would still be all of those things, gay or straight.  I know I would.  It is a silly question, but I know the answer.  Sex is sex.  I'm not having any sex right now.  I can identify myself however I please: I can tell everyone I'm a straight male if I want, right?  As a matter of fact, I can have sex with Brittney whenever I please, and probably half-a-dozen other women too.  I could go do that, and then I can call myself a straight man. 

I am still an atheist and a liberal and an artist.  And the question is a stupid, silly question without a purpose.  Because I am a gay man and I don't plan on having any sex with any women.  (Though Allan and Brittney reminded me on Saturday that I did make out with Drea a little less than 2 years ago.  Hee hee.  Such stupidity.)

I'm tired.

I just finished listening to an interview with Lynne Truss of Eats, Shoots & Leaves fame.  My dad recorded it on cable for me.  Isn't that sweet?  He's a weird-o Bill O'Reilly fan, but he still knows how to be nice.