Eye-opening viral Twitter thread reveals how people are still shocked to see same-sex couples in public
(Stock photo)
A Canadian magazine editor tweeted that a woman dropped her groceries after seeing her kiss her girlfriend, reminding the world that people are still shocked by same-sex couples.
Erica Lenti wrote: “A woman dropped her groceries when she saw me kiss my girlfriend goodbye today, and that’s the change I want to be in this world.”
Her tweet sparked a viral thread of LGBT+ people sharing the reactions to their own same-sex public displays of affection.
A woman dropped her groceries when she saw me kiss my girlfriend goodbye today, and that’s the change I want to be in this world.
— Erica Lenti (@ericalenti) September 28, 2019
Some stories shared by Twitter users were heartwarming and funny. One man wrote: “When I was 23 and living in Italy, my male friend and I decided to kiss for the shock factor as a Catholic nun approached.
“The joke was on us. She calmly smiled, nodded and wished us ‘buongiorno.’
A queer social media user wrote about being grateful to see a same-sex in public when she was young.
She said: I’d like to give a shout out to the lesbians I saw laughing and canoodling on the bus in Berkeley in 1983.
“15 year old vacation me probably stared at you in a weird way, but 51 year old queer me thinks about you often, and always with a grateful smile.”
I'd like to give a shout out to the lesbians I saw laughing and canoodling on the bus in Berkeley in 1983. 15 year old vacation me probably stared at you in a weird way, but 51 year old queer me thinks about you often, and always with a grateful smile.— Shannon Wade (@13ShannonWade) September 29, 2019
However other stories served as a stark reminder that same-sex couples often receive negative reactions just by being in public together.
“When my wife and I were entering Target once, a woman grabbed both of her children, pulled them into her, then covered their eyes with her hands,” wrote one woman.
“As we passed, she pursed her lips, furrowed her brows, and shook her head at us.”
When my wife & I were entering Target once, a woman grabbed both of her children, pulled them into her, then covered their eyes with her hands. As we passed, she pursed her lips, furrowed her brows, & shook her head at us. The kids def looked back & I'm p sure they're gay now.— AVM (@nuthingsscareme) September 28, 2019
Another said: “My wife and I stepped in an elevator in Nashville, woman asked me if we were sisters, said we looked alike.
“No, I told her, we’ve been together 20 years so maybe we have started to look alike.
“She gasped and grabbed her husband! You know she telling people she got hit on by [a] lesbian.”
A study earlier this year showed that 85 percent of American LGBT+ people were afraid to hold hands or show other forms of affection towards a partner in public.
