I have some neighbors that are pretty "country".

Well, I got to talking to one of them yesterday when I was out messing with my new Ford junker, anyways the subject of GLBT did come up.

I said, "yeah people think I am fruity enough as it is.." long story short - he was like "people do judge a book by the cover, you are wearing some pink, you look like a girl, you dress like a girl.. so people just assume..." of course in a conversational manner, but he was saying he has some gay friends and really, the things he said, I knew he was not ignorant.

Of course we got to chatting about other things, but it was just kind of weird, I mean the guy is pretty big, has a beard, drives this big ol pickup,

So what did I learn? First, I learned once again that *I*, yes, Erin, have a lot to learn about judging books by their cover. Also, figured out something I heard years ago - it is easy to hate based on looks but usually you get to talking to someone and find out they are just normal people and you end up thinking highly of them. Might I say for my neighbor, his job is actually something quite noble and caring. I don't know what it pays but he is providing a service that a lot of people could not do.

So he said in an honest way that I look like a woman. He also had a hard time believeing I am 35 years old. He is early 20's and I thought, "Well, maybe the next generation *is* less ignorant than even the 30 somethings"

It is just weird, it is like you cannot know people just by looking at them.

Well, we were chatting a while, I won't bore you with all the details but these things above stuck out in my mind.

Man I don't know, I just wish I could shake some of my own prejudice.