IS IT GAY TO WASH YOURSELF

There has been a growing conversation about personal hygiene. Brought to the forefront by the pandemic, people have revealed things about their washing habits that no one had known before.

Including–and most especially–the fact that a lot of people don’t feel they need to wash from the belly button down. Because the shower water will trickle down and clean things with no added attention necessary.

So…

Yeah. People have had a lot of thoughts about the non-washing of other people, and the non-washing of themselves and the reasons why.

Because it seems like everyone simply must explain the reason why they don’t wash or why they don’t wash particular parts of their bodies.

I attempted to stay out of the conversation, but it has crossed my timeline several times. And thus has had a chance to sink into my brain.

And I can stay silent no longer.

Not when I’ve seen multiple people express the sentiment that they’re worried washing their own bodies will make them gay.

You heard that correctly.

Somewhere out there, parents are teaching their children to not wash themselves because it will make them gay.

And people live that life. Not washing themselves for fear that it will make them gay.

That’s one of the saddest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.

Because at it’s core, it’s not a fear of seeing something, feeling something, and having some great deviltry enter a person’s mind from the outside.

It’s children being taught to fear themselves.

Instead of morals and commonsense knowledge, they are being filled with tiny terrors and imaginary devils that are going to turn them into something monstrous and weird.

And when they go out into the world, and they’re unable to connect with the people around them, they think "That’s the Devil in them. They recognize my goodness, my righteousness, and that’s why they don’t want anything to do with me."

And they go to their church, and the church people accept them as they are, and they don’t realize that the church people are simply being nice by not speaking their real thoughts. Because "everyone is accepted at church" is part of the community that is organized religion.

Meanwhile, the true overarching problems are not being addressed. And if hygiene is 90% of the reason why someone can’t find companionship…

The words need to be said:

No. Washing your own ass DOES NOT make you gay.

It is simply basic hygiene.

Sexual attraction toward those of the opposite gender is natural. Sexual attraction toward those of the same gender is natural. Sexual curiosity toward those of any gender is natural.

Non-sexual attraction toward others is natural as well. That’s where you want to be someone’s friend. Or you want someone to want to be your friend. Or you admire the look and attitude of another person and wish you could be like that. And it might come across as you having a crush, but really you are simply nervous because you don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of someone that you admire.

Having feelings is natural.

They’re just sometimes really hard to deal with.

So I can’t imagine always carrying such a terrible amount of fear with me every day AS WELL AS THE REGULAR FEARS that come with the human condition.

Because fear is good. Fear let’s you know when a situation is suspicious. Fear is your mind reminding you that your body is breakable and you should do your best to protect it from damage. Fear gives you something to overcome.

But fear should not be all that a person is.

Fear should not curtail every bit of a person’s happiness. Especially if it’s fear impressed on you by someone else’s worry about your sexuality.

Because people discover their sexuality, which means it’s already the way it is.

Someone else trying to move the points on the map doesn’t take away the destination. It just makes it harder for a person to find it.

So no. Washing your own ass does not make you gay.

It just means you don’t smell like shit.

Pax,
~Harper Kingsley