Straight Talk

[davidlpope]

With the train of thought that wearing a kilt makes you a possible gay man, then the great majority of Scottish males who have worn the kilt at some time in their life would be gay. I'm sure that the kilt is an equally attractive mode of dress for either a gay or straight man.
Come to think of it any time I have been in a gay bar or club in Glasgow, I have yet to see a man in a kilt, me being the only kiltie!
I would not like to tell my fellow members of the Tartan Army that they could be interpreted as gay, in fact I don't think anyone would have the courage to suggest this to them.

The more ticklish "cultural approaches towards sexuality" aside, I think many of these issues stem from lack of context. Without appropriate context, folks are left to their own ignorance and misinformed notions. I think that we, as XMarkers, generally tend to overestimate the public's knowledge concerning Highland attire.

Here's an example of what I'm getting at:

Example #1: Man walks into a "Scottish-themed pub" in Stone Mt., Georgia the Saturday night after the Stone Mt. Highland Games. He's wearing a complete kilted "ensemble" (i.e. kilt, proper kilt hose, sgian dubh, shirt, tie, tweed jacket, leather sporran) and carrying his bagpipes. His kilt is instantly identified as the "native costume" of Highland Scotland [or perhaps (erroneously) misidentified as being Irish in origin].

Example #2: Man walks into a sports bar in Akron, Ohio in the middle of the week wearing a utilikilt, scrunched-down white socks, combat boots, a logo t-shirt, and a jeans jacket. His "kilt" is misidentified as a "skirt" and the (erroneous) assumption is made that the kilted fellow is cross-dressing. The further (erroneous) assumption is made that cross-dresser = gay man.

I don't know why people see fit to infer one's choice of bed partner from one's clothing in the first place, but things being as they are, if you want folks to recognize your kilt as a kilt, you have to help them out a bit by putting it in context. I suspect that the folks in Glasgow and the rest of Scotland have enough "internal context" to understand what a kilt is, hence the lack of confusion. In the US, though, there's not this "internal context" that one can rely on.

In terms of OC Richard's particular experience (which might seem to dispute this line of reasoning), perhaps he merely cuts an sharp figure when kilted and is noticed by both heterosexual women and gay men as being attractive?[i.e. perhaps there wasn't an inference made that his kilt connoted homosexuality.]

David

[Detroitpete]

I work almost entirely with women and Gay men and most of my very close friends are women and gay men. The conventional wisdom from my 'rabble' is that I look good in kilts--should wear kilts as often as possible--and it's odd when out and about for me NOT to be in a kilt. I have a friend of mine who is measuring me for a leather/canvass/steampunkish kilt that he wants me to try out while I compete in Heavy Athletics.

So, when women are 'confused' by the power of the kilt and ask me if I'm straight--I wink and point to my wife and say "ask her".

When men who are 'confused' by the power of the kilt and ask me if I'm straight--I say "Yes, but not narrow". If it's obviously a homophobic response from men--and they ask me if I'm Gay--I say "Nope, but I can hook you up with some of my friends if you'd like"

All hail the power of the kilt!

[Dale Seago]

While I haven't done it yet, I've been tempted to have some cards made to carry in my sporran bearing this 1782 proclamation of the repeal of the Dress Act of 1746. I especially like the sentence "You are no longer bound down to the unmanly dress of the Lowlander."

Listen Men. This is bringing before all the Sons of the Gael, the King and Parliament of Britain have forever abolished the act against the Highland Dress; which came down to the Clans from the beginning of the world to the year 1746. This must bring great joy to every Highland Heart. You are no longer bound down to the unmanly dress of the Lowlander. This is declaring to every Man, young and old, simple and gentle, that they may after this put on and wear the Truis, the Little Kilt, the Coat, and the Striped Hose, as also the Belted Plaid, without fear of the Law of the Realm or the spite of the enemies.

[ohiopiper]

DetroitPete, I've got to remember that "Straight, but not narrow" bit. And especially the one about hooking them up with friends. Sure to be an unexpected reply!

[Riverkilt]

I'm one of those straight, but not narrow, guys too. FREEDOM means any man can dress as he pleases.

One of my fun things to do is when using the rest room proudly stride up to the urinal and hike my kilt up in a manly manner.

Not unusual though for other men to open the door to the rest room, see a kilted man standing at the urinal, and back out of the restroom - as if the kilted man might somehow make a gay proposition to them. That's their "stuff" not mine or the kilts.

[kc8ufv]

But people do like to flirt! And oftentimes flirting is harmless fun.

The story in the original post reminds me of something that happened a while back when a group of us- four pipers and two drummers- were playing in a bar.

There was a long table with a good-sized group of men and women sitting at it. Out of the blue, when the band took a break, an attractive woman from that table came up to me and said "half of us are hoping that you're gay and the other half is hoping that you're straight".

I was surprised and embarrased and could only reply "I don't know what to say".

There's always the option (true for me, anyway) "You're all in luck, my kilt is pleated both ways"

I work almost entirely with women and Gay men and most of my very close friends are women and gay men.

Why does this sound exactly like the office I work in? Do you work about half an hour drive S. of Detroit?

[Jay]

I'm a bit surprised at the concept of "kilt = gay." From my limited observations, kilts have not been embraced by the gay community to any degree beyond that of straight men, i.e. some gay guys like 'em; some straight guys like 'em - in about equal percentages! Or, maybe I'm totally clueless in this regard...?

When I see kilts in the gay community, they tend to be made of leather, and may have some type of metal studding as decoration.

Hardly a wool tartan.

[NewGuise]

There was a long table with a good-sized group of men and women sitting at it. Out of the blue, when the band took a break, an attractive woman from that table came up to me and said "half of us are hoping that you're gay and the other half is hoping that you're straight".

I'd have had to ask: "is it the men who are hoping that I'm straight?'

[Detroitpete]

There's always the option (true for me, anyway) "You're all in luck, my kilt is pleated both ways"



Why does this sound exactly like the office I work in? Do you work about half an hour drive S. of Detroit?

Ha! nope--I work and live in Detroit, neighbor.

[Bill aka Mole]

I'm one of those straight, but not narrow, guys too. FREEDOM means any man can dress as he pleases.

One of my fun things to do is when using the rest room proudly stride up to the urinal and hike my kilt up in a manly manner.

Not unusual though for other men to open the door to the rest room, see a kilted man standing at the urinal, and back out of the restroom - as if the kilted man might somehow make a gay proposition to them. That's their "stuff" not mine or the kilts.

And I was thinking that this was a strickly South Carolina phenomenon as it has happened to me a lot down here! Cheers!