I was thinking about how I have this whole entry about the movie Thirteen sitting in my composition book that I planned on typing in here, but the more I think about it, the more depressing it is, so I think I'll just let it sit for awhile.

So I went and saw my family (mostly my brother) in Chicago last week, and it was cool. My brother lives in a neighborhood in Chicago known (not officially) as Boystown. It is gay central, pretty much. The freaking street lights have rainbows going up the side of them. I've never really been in the gay district of a big city, since here in Baltimore it's just two houses, three bars, and a bookstore. But where my brother lives, there is essentially not a straight person to be found, and all up and down the streets are gay bars, gay stores (there is one store actually called Gaymart, with all sorts of t-shirts and paraphenelia and way too many pictures of naked men), offices for lawyers whose logos are rainbow colored, and churches with rainbow Jesus fish and signs out front that say things like, "Just because you screamed Oh God on Saturday night doesn't mean you should forget Him on Sunday." Even the shops in his neighborhood, which were very cool...used book stores, antique stores, and the like, were run by these old queens who just LOVED my Angelina Jolie purse. It was overwhelming, but fabulous.

My brother and I had this conversation at one point:

Me: so where are all the gay women?

Brother: Why, you looking to get lucky?

Me: Nah...just wondering.

Brother: They live north of here, a neighborhood called Andersonville.

Me: You segregate them?

Brother: What? They segregate themselves, just like the gay men do.

Me: Why do they get such a nice name, like Andersonville, and the gay men get Boystown?

Brother: Well it's not just lesbians up there. They've also got Swedes.

Me: Ooh! Swedes!

I'm just wondering if I've ever mentioned in here that my brother is gay. I don't know why I would have; I don't think I've ever talked about him before. I think the basic rule of thumb is unless I mention someone being heterosexual, they're probably not. It's a big gay life I lead.

I don't want to go into how much I love the gays, because it's kinda silly (they are better to be around than straights, and I don't care if that sounds like a generalization or a stereotype), but I don't seek them out. They fall into my lap. My best friend since 3rd grade and my brother turned out gay, my other best friend (whose own sexuality is questionable) has a gay brother who I've become great friends with. And the rest is history.