The First 44

Whelp, the first 44 hats of 2013 are on their way to cold heads.  Or, sort of.  The ones in the box have been dropped off with a woman who volunteers at a food pantry for the homeless/near homeless in Johnson County, just south of Indianapolis.  Even though tomorrow is the first day of spring, we're still having highs in the 30s and 40s, and we've got a couple days of snow coming up in the 10 day forecast.  And there are no homeless shelters anywhere in Johnson County, something that I just found out.  So a lot of the people they work with are sleeping in cars, if they're lucky, or outdoors if they're not.

The hats in the laundry basket will get boxed up, and those will being going in the mail tomorrow for Trinity Place Shelter in New York.  Trinity is an LGBTQ youth shelter that I heard about from Leanna Renee Hieber when I met her last year at RT.  I saw a tweet yesterday from Trinity that the weather has been ugly in NYC, too, and their volunteers have been coming in early to provide a few extra hours of warmth and shelter to the teens they serve.  Trinity does good work, and if you've got a little wiggle room in your budget, I know they'd be happy for the help.

And now, I need to go knit something.  My donation tubs are empty again.

On the Tenth Day, I Sinned

One of my goals for 2013 was to lay off on the yarn buying for a while.  I have a whole, fancy new cabinet full of the stuff, so it's not like I'm hurting for something to knit or anything.  I was doing pretty well until yesterday, when Mom said, "Hey, do you want to go to Michael's?  They're having a sale on yarn."

Gulp.

I went with the best of intentions.  I was needing a pair of size 10 dpns (double pointed needles for the non-knitters- they're used for making circular things, like hats or socks), and I figured it wouldn't hurt to just *look* at the yarn.  And I set myself a small budget, in case there was anything that was just too good of a deal to pass up.

This is what I came home with:

The two giant bags are from Michael's.  The smaller bag is from a small LYS (Local Yarn Shop in knitter talk) called Starstruck Cat.  Mom talked me into going there, too.  And again, I went in with the best of intentions.  This time, I was looking for a set of size 13 dpns.  13s are big, maybe as big around as a finger, depending on how big your fingers are, and they aren't always easy to find.  I came out with the dpns and this beautiful yarn:

Isn't it gorgeous?

The little bag from Starstruck Cat cost as much as one of the giant bags from Michael's, but the yarn from Starstruck Cat is the good stuff: soft, cuddly merino.  It's going to make a lovely hat, for me this time!

Between the two stores, I managed to seriously blow the budget.  But the Michael's stuff was on sale for a really good price, and it's all going to be made into hats for donation, so I'm not going to beat myself up about it too much.

And after all, I've managed to keep my resolution not to buy any more ebooks... so far.

ETA: On the positive side, I've already finished a charity hat from some of the new yarn I bought.  It came out kind of cute, I think!

And a view from the top:

Just Putting It Out There

The other day a read a blog post by someone who has a movie buddy.  Every once in a while they get together for a daylong marathon of the indie gay romances that they both love.  Can I just say, this sounds completely AWESOME?!?!  Living with my parents, I pretty much limit my watching of anything with significant gay characters to after they've gone to bed or while they're out of the house.  It isn't worth the hassle I'd have to put up with, even for something I really enjoy.

So I'm putting it out to the Universe right now.  I want to find a local friend to get together with occasionally, who enjoys those kinds of movies, and maybe even some of the same books I do, and won't think I'm a total weirdo or spout a bunch of homophobic crap.  (Also, if they like the occasionally other girlie movie, that would be good.  I had plans with my SIL to see Magic Mike that got cancelled- twice- before it came out that my brother wouldn't "let" her see it.  That pisses me off and skeeves me out in about equal measure.)

It would be really nice to have someplace I felt like I could be myself in real life, and not just on the internet.

Normies Don't Get It

The other day I was attempting to help out in the kitchen.  I rinsed a few dishes and put them in the dishwasher, and then all the sudden my back locked up like Fort Knox.  Stupid back.  Mom saw it happen, and she shooed me away from the sink.

At this point, I made a mistake.  I opened my mouth.  "Someday," I said, "I'm going to have my dream house, where everything is set up so that I can sit down to do the dishes or work at the stove."

"NO," Mom said.  "Someday you will be better, and you won't need that stuff."

Ouch.

I've been at this chronic disease thing for five and a half years now.  A drop in the bucket compared to some, and really just the start, since I will be dealing with this stuff in some form for the whole rest of my life. That's what chronic means.  It's not going away.

In the really early days, I still believed that every new med was The One.  The medication that was going to Fix me.  The medication that would make me Healthy and Normal again.  They've all had some effect.  But none of them transported me back to the land of the healthy.  I haven't had another near-death crisis, for which I am endlessly thankful, but I haven't had more than a scattered handful of truly good days since early 2007, either.

After a while, after some hits and misses, some brief bouts of improvement and really miserable side effects, you learn not to hope too hard.  I mean, you always have to hope.  If you can't hope at all you might as well lay down and die.  (And perhaps consider getting a referral and some anti-depressants.  No shame.  An awful lot of us in the chronic community need that kind of help.  Constant illness is depressing as fuck.)  This next drug is based on a different treatment pathway.  Maybe it will be the one that makes a difference.  Someone I know tried this kind of alternative treatment, and they saw improvements in these areas.  Maybe I'll try that too, when I scrape up the money.  See?  Hope.

But it's a cautious hope.  A hope that doesn't put all it's eggs in one basket.  A hope that never asks for too much.  Not a normal life.  Not to be able to work again, or go out with friends, to travel regularly, or to be able to do my own damn dishes all in one go without having to sit down and take a break for a while.

I know Mom was trying to be helpful.  But by rejecting my reasonable hope-- a hope that someday I'd live in a house that worked around my needs, rather than me struggling to work with what's there-- she squashed me pretty flat.  Her hope was too big, too militant, too unrealistic.  She still hopes that someday the magic pill will come, and I'll be able to live just like everyone else.  I've tried all but two medications currently on the market for my disease.  I'd say there's a reasonable chance that I'll be trying one of those two before the year is out.  The other one is strictly monitored by the FDA, because one of it's "side effects" is brain eating fungus.  I don't think my magic pill is coming any time soon.

So I keep my hopes small.  More days where I don't hurt too bad.  Less time in the bathroom.  More energy.  The chance to push my life out past these four walls.  I can't hope as big as my mother does for me.  The fall would kill me just as surely as my disease would, if given the chance.

2012 Reading List

Holy crap, y'all.  I can't believe it's New Year's Eve again.  Which means it's once again time to make you a list of what I've been reading.  It's a long one.  I've spent a lot of time with my nose buried in the ereader this year.  My goal was 295 books, and I'm not going to make that.  But I'd say 280 is pretty damn good!  My favorites are in bold.

1. No Souvenirs- K.A. Mitchell
2. Between You and Me- Willa Okati
3. Talker's Graduation- Amy Lane
4. Slings and Arrows- Josh Lanyon
5. The Captain's Man- Scarlet Blackwell
6. Cheating Chance- James Buchanan
7. One Wild Wish- Devon Rhodes
8. A Lady Awakened- Cecilia Grant (I don't remember much about it now, but I know I really liked it at the time.)
9. No Quarter- Christine d'Abo
10. First You Fall- Scott Sherman
11. Equilibrium- Katey Hawthorne
12. Brazen- Jordan Castillo Price
13. Frost Fair- Erastes
14. Cover Me- L.A. Witt
15. Moonlight Becomes You- Piper Vaughn, M.J. O'Shea
16. Striker- KyAnn Waters
17. Death Trick- Richard Stevenson
18. Dangerous Ground- Josh Lanyon
19. Payback- Jordan Castillo Price
20. Paradise Found- Hunter Raines
21. Moolah and Moonshine- Jordan Castillo Price
22. Riot Boy- Katey Hawthorne - I loved rocker bad boy Brady and laid back Etienne.
23. Other People's Weddings- Josh Lanyon
24. Body Art- Jordan Castillo Price
25. Where You Least Expect It- M. Durango
26. Spanish Fly Guy- Jordan Castillo Price
27. Gym Daddy- Grant Storm
28. Pretty Ugly- Jordan Castillo Price- This was a standout for me within a series of interconnected
          novellas.
29. Bad Boyfriend- K.A. Mitchell- I loved this one. Eli is such a great character, and he and Quinn seem
           to fit together so well. Their kink was hot, and Eli really helped Quinn cut through the bs with his
           adopted family.
30. Make You Sweat- Pia Veleno
31. Sometimes It's Fate- Angela S. Stone
32. The Letter Z- Marie Sexton
33. Pisces: From Behind That Locked Door- Pepper Espinoza
34. Her to Dads- Ariel Tachna
35. The Psychic and the Sleuth- Bonnie Dee
36. Sort of Stranger Than Fiction- Josh Lanyon
37. Sauntering Vaguely Downward- Nessa L. Warin- This one was interested because it took place at
            DragonCon in Atlanta. The guys were sweet, and I was glad when they worked it out. But the
            setting and all the activity going on around them was fun.
38. Whitetail Rock- Anne Tenino- I love Anne, and I thought this story was great fun.  But the characters
             also dealt with painful issues, like race and the fear of being fetishized vs being loved.
39. Caught Running- Abigail Roux, Madeleine Urban
40. Change of Heart- Mary Calmes
41. Collared- Kari Gregg- An intense BDSM set in the near future where environmental changes have
              cranked human aggression up to 11, except for a few rare individuals.  Hard to explain, but it was
              really good.
42. A Shared Range- Andrew Grey
43. The Male Room- Carolyn Levine Topol
44. Take My Picture- Giselle Ellis
45. My Heart is Within You- Marguerite Labbe
46. Dar and Greg- Bobby Michaels
47. Getting Dumped, Part 1- Tawna Fenske
48. Thief of Hearts: Tempted in Thailand- E.M. Lynley
49. Demonglass- Rachel Hawkins
50. A Troubled Range- Andrew Grey
51. The Mister Trophy- Frank Tuttle
52. Private Dicks- Katie Allen
53. Snared- J.L. Merrow
54. Chasing Seth- J.R. Loveless
55. Frost Moon- Anthony Francis- An Urban Fantasy with some unique elements.
56. It's Not Shakespeare- Amy Lane
57. A Chip in His Shoulder- L.A. Witt
58. A Vintage Affair- Josh Lanyon
59. Boys of Summer- Cooper Davis
60. Urban Shaman- Lyn Gala- M/M romantic suspense, with some unusual paranormal elements. Hoping
               there will be a sequel at some point.
61. Seduce Me at Sunrise- Lisa Kleypas
62. Unshakeable Faith- Lisa Worrell
63. Close to Me- Katrina Strauss
64. Cinder- Marie Sexton
65. One More Wish- Devon Rhodes
66. Clouds and Rain- Zahra Owens
67. Black Blades- Ginn Hale
68. Nature of the Beast- Amylea Lyn
69. Foxe Hunt- Haley Walsh
70. Foreshock- Kari Gregg
71. One Less Stiff at the Funeral- Sean Kennedy
72. The Island- Lisa Henry- Really intense, with physical and psychological torture, but so good.
73. Critic's Choice- Josh Lanyon
74. Le Jazz Hot- Clancy Nacht, Thursday Euclid
75. Nowhere Ranch- Heidi Cullinan
76. In the Strangest Places- Willa Okati
77. Sex, Lies, & Edelweiss- J.L. Merrow
78. My Only Home- Pepper Espinoza
79. Once a Marine- Cat Grant
80. One Good Hand- Rowan McBride
81. The Captain's Beloved- Scarlet Blackwell
82. Dawn in the Orchard- Cooper West
83. Circle of Change- Laney Cairo- This was an incredible book. An Inspirational (Pagan), with a m/m
                     romance and a trans* main character. So sensitively handled.
84. Fugly- K.Z. Snow
85. Frat Boy and Toppy- Anne Tenino- Funny, emotional, with the most hilarious coming out scene I've
                     ever read. If you haven't read Anne Tenino yet, start here!
86. Amaranth & Ash- Jessica Freely
87. Ride With Me- Ruthie Knox- A fantastic, independent heroine and a hero who was protective while
                      still respecting her. Best m/f I've read in a while.
88. Blood Howl- Robin Saxon
89. Blacker Than Black- Rhi Etzweiler- Romance, Urban Fantasy with a new kind of vampire, a really
                      excellent read. Looking forward to future books.
90. A Private Gentleman- Heidi Cullinan- Kind of heartbreaking, but fantastic, too.
91. The White Knight- Josh Lanyon
92. Wishink Well- Jordan Castillo Price- Another fantastic novella in the Petit Morts series.
93. I, Omega- Kari Gregg
94. Our December- Diane Adams
95. Nobody's Hero- Katey Hawthorne
96. Sagittarius Blues- Katrina Strauss
97. Girl From Mars- Julie Cohen
98. Clear Water- Amy Lane- Just a really good story
99. Master of the Mountain- Cherise Sinclair
100. Out of the Blue- Josh Lanyon
101. Handle With Care- Josephine Myles
102. Sympathy- Jordan Castillo Price
103. Reckless Seduction- Amanda Young
104. Grown Men- Damon Suede
105. Wight Mischief- J.L. Merrow
106. A+E 4ever- ilike merey- My first graphic novel, a couple of teens dealing with gender and sexuality.
                  I don't think graphic novels are really for me, but it was still quite good.
107. A Bar Tender Tale- Melanie Tushmore
108. Super Sock Man- Amy Lane
109. Happily Neverafter- Jordan Castillo Price
110. According to Hoyle- Abigail Roux
111. The Naked Truth- Lilly Cain
112. The Wishing Cup- J.M. Gryffyn
113. Domination- Chris Owen, Jodi Payne
114. The Gathering- Scott Sherman
115. When I Fall- Belinda McBride
116. Accidentally in Love- Jane Davitt
117. Witches' Blood- Ginn Hale
118. Chasing Smoke- K.A. Mitchell
119. Beginnings and Ends- Suzanne Brockmann
120. The Seduction of Phaeton Black- Jillian Stone
121. Bone Idol- Paige Turner
122. Second You Sin- Scott Sherman- The second Kevin Connor mystery. I just love Kevin!
123. Bewitched by Bella's Brother- Amy Lane
124. City Falcon- Feliz Faber
125. Behind Iron Lace- Mercy Celeste
126. Life Lessons- Kaje Harper- Great m/m romantic suspense
127. The Hunting Moon- Evelyn Shepherd
128. Beautiful Disaster- J.M. Snyder
129. A Queer and Pleasant Danger- Kate Bornstein
130. An Oral Fixation- Piper Vaughn- A great story about two guys finally getting their chance together.
131. Dharma Cafe- Jessica Freely
132. One Small Thing- Piper Vaughn, M.J. O'Shea- An unexpected baby, a guy with serious anxiety,
                         and a really sweet story.
133. One Night in LA- Sue Holston
134. London Eye- Clare London
135. Slow Summer Kisses- Shannon Stacey
136. Last Stop- Lou Harper
137. Blind Items- Kate McMurray
138. Duty & Devotion- Tere Michaels
139. Used, Rare, & Limited Editions- Chris Owen
140. Dancing With the Tide- Neil Plakcy
141. The Tea Demon- Cornelia Grey
142. Lovers and Other Strangers- Josh Lanyon
143. The Fix- Anne Tenino
144. A Little Bite of Magic- M.J. O'Shea
145. Spirits and Second Chances- Sean Kennedy
146. Paris A to Z- Marie Sexton
147. Waterways- Kyell Gold
148. Hawk's Landing- Carol Lynne
149. Spell Cat- Tara Lain- I'd never heard of Tara until I met her at RT this spring. I've really enjoyed her
                        books, especially this one.
150. Old Poison- Josh Lanyon
151. Academic Pursuits- Lou Harper
152. Asher's Invention- Coleen Kwan
153. A Matter of Time, Vol 1- Mary Calmes
154. Taxes and TARDIS- N.R. Walker
155. Pit Road- Anah Crow, Dianne Fox
156. Forever in One Second- Finn Marlowe
157. At Piper's Point- Ethan Day
158. What Hides Inside- Ally Blue
159. Just Desserts- Josh Lanyon
160. Defying the Odds- Kele Moon
161. Pearl- Kelly Rand- This is short, but there's a huge amount of story here, without feeling rushed.
162. Yearning- Amy Lane
163. A Note in the Margin- Isabelle Rowan
164. Volley Balls- Tara Lain
165. Easy- Ally Blue
166. Claimed- Evangeline Anderson
167. Country Mouse- Amy Lane, Aleksandr Voinov
168. Shattered Glass- Dani Alexander
169. Cost of Repairs- A.M. Arthur
170. You Can Leave Your Hat On- Lena Matthews
171. Hard Tail- J.L. Merrow
172. Taurus: All That You Do- Jamie Craig
173. Out of the Fire- Ariel Tachna
174. Salad on the Side- Karenna Colcroft
175. Windows in Time- M. Jules Aedin- A mystery, a bit of a ghost story, gender stuff. Really good.
176. Bound by Blood- Jourdan Lane
177. Kaden's Colors- Ryan Loveless
178. Hanging Loose- Lou Harper
179. The Luckiest- Piper Vaughn, M.J. O'Shea
180. Actually, I'm Gay- Roxy Harte
181. Loose Change- Sean Kennedy
182. Chasing the Mailman- Amber Redd
183. A Matter of Time, Vol 2- Mary Calmes
184. Don't Look Back- Josh Lanyon
185. One Good Year- Rowan McBride
186. The Druid Stone- Heidi Belleau, Violetta Vane- Fantasy, romance, big bad guys, time travel.
187. But My Boyfriend Is- K.A. Mitchell
188. Blood Will Tell- Kyra Cornelius Kramer
189. Media Naranja- Clare London
190. Spell Bound- Rachel Hawkins
191. Immortal Coil- Jordan Castillo Price
192. Where Nerves End- L.A. Witt
193. Sticks & Stones- Abigail Roux, Madeleine Urban
194. Hell Cop- Astrid Amara, Nicole Kimberling, Ginn Hale
195. Flat-Out Sexy- Erin McCarthy
196. Boys in the Band- B.A. Tortuga
197. This Rough Magic- Josh Lanyon
198. All He Ever Needed- Shannon Stacey
199. Discipline- Chris Owen, Jodi Payne
200. Truth or Dare- Jenna Byrnes
201. Brookstreet: Thief- Ava March
202. Love Means... No Shame- Andrew Grey
203. The Dangers of Fairy Compacts- Katey Hawthorne
204. Life as a Fairy Thrall- Katey Hawthorne
205. Born to Darkness- Suzanne Brockmann
206. Champion- Jet Mykles
207. Pressure Head- J.L. Merrow- Another excellent Merrow
208. Gasp!- Z.A. Maxfield- A spoiled mess of a rockstar and a soldier trying to find a place for himself
                      outside of the military. Not perfect, but a fun read.
209. Third You Die- Scott Sherman- The third, and possibly final, Kevin Connor mystery. (sniffle)
210. Moving in Rhythm- Dev Bentham
211. Twilight- Ally Blue
212. Eighth Grade Bites- Heather Brewer
213. Boy Meets Boy- David Levithan
214. The Flesh Cartel #1: Capture- Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau- Rape, torture, dark, intense.
                       Definitely not for everyone. First of a serial.
215. My Regelence Rake- J.L. Langley
216. The Kraken's Mirror- Maureen O. Betita
217. Song of Oestend- Marie Sexton- Alternate history western, supernatural, romance. Amazing.
218. Marathon Cowboys- Sarah Black
219. The Hot Floor- Josephine Myles- Fantastic menage story, tons of emotion & vulnerability. And hot!
220. Curious?: A Woman's Introduction to Gay Romance- Amy Lane, et al
221. Second Hand- Heidi Cullinan, Marie Sexton
222. Death Comes As the End- Agatha Christie
223. Just Like Heaven- Julia Quinn- Not much meat to the story, but it was great fun.
224. Cop Out- K.C. Burn
225. Slight of Hand- Katrina Strauss
226. Love. Hypothetically- Anne Tenino
227. Mind Magic- Poppy Dennison
228. Magpie- Kim Dare- Really interesting take on shifter culture, with BDSM. Loved Kane.
229. The Courage to Love- Samantha Kane
230. Phonebook- Amy Lane
231. Raising the Stakes- Amy Lane
232. Insta-Love- Josephine Myles
233. Art of Death- Ana Bosch
234. Closer- Ally Blue
235. In Service- Mima
236. Heart Trouble- Josh Lanyon
237. College Boys- Daisy Harris
238. Fire Balls- Tara Lain- A twink who's tougher than he looks and a firefighter who has to find his
                      courage.
239. Twice by Chance- Susan Laine
240. Strawberries and the Beast- April Moone
241. Adder- Ally Blue
242. The Gravedigger's Brawl- Abigail Roux- Spooky ghost story and a great romance.
243. The Gathering- Kelley Armstrong
244. The Flesh Cartel #2: Auction- Rachel Haimowitz, Heidi Belleau- Even more intense and violent
                       than the first one.
245. Pets, Book 1: Sparkling- Mike Shade
246. Admiring Anna- Kim Dare
247. Saviours of Oestend- Marie Sexton- Sequel to Song of Oestend. Fantastic.
248. Brush With Catastrophe- Tara Lain
249. Used, Rare, and Custom Jobs- Chris Owen
250. Boats in the Night- Josephine Myles- Just good stuff.
251. Blood Relations- K.C. Burn
252. By the River- Katey Hawthorne
253. Silent Night- Deanna Raybourn
254. Without Reservations- J.L. Langley
255. The Good Thief- James Buchanan
256. Lesson Learned- Lillian Francis
257. Be Bad, For Goodness Sake- Tara Lain
258. Riptide Rentboys: The 2012 Collection- Rachel Haimowitz, et al
259. Unacceptable Risk- Kaje Harper
260. One True Thing- Piper Vaughn, M.J. O'Shea
261. Puppy, Car, and Snow- Amy Lane
262. Feeling Hot- Elle Kennedy
263. Doctor Who: The Angel's Kiss- Justin Richards
264. How to Raise an Honest Rabbit- Amy Lane
265. Conduct Unbecoming- L.A. Witt- Military romance set on Okinawa post-DADT repeal.
266. Season For Surrender- Theresa Romain
267. Cherish- Tere Michaels
268. The Long Way Home- Z.A. Maxfield- Fantastic supernatural romantic suspense.
269. I Don't: A Christmas Wish- Kari Gregg- Some really painful stuff, but also funny and well done.
270. Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things- Randy O. Frost
271. Snow Balls- Tara Lain
272. Miracle of the Bellskis- Astrid Amara
273. Knitter in His Natural Habitat- Amy Lane
274. Borderline- T.A. Chase
275. Outlaw Marriages: The Hidden Histories of Fifteen Extraordinary Same-Sex Couples- Rodger
                    Streitmatter
276. Before He Cheats- Kim Dare
277. O Come All Ye Kinky- Joey W. Hill, et al
278. Turkey in the Snow- Amy Lane
279. You Melted Me- Kari Gregg
280. Something Like Summer- Jay Bell

And I don't know if I'll finish in time, but if I do, Cold Days by Jim Butcher will be book 281.  And so far it's fantastic, so it will be another bolded one!

Donation 2012

Last year I knit my brother a pair of warm house socks for Christmas.  I had some yarn leftover, so I decided to knit a hat.  And since I didn't have anyone in particular who needed a hat, I decided to donate it somewhere.  And then, because this is me we're talking about, it kind of snowballed.

Here's that first hat:

And here's a picture of my 2012 knitted donation:

Final count was 3 scarves, 2 cowls, 2 pair of fingerless mitts, and 33 hats.  40 items all together.  Woot!  Ten items went to Trinity Place, a ten bed shelter in New York City for homeless LGBTQ youth.  The rest went to Ruth Ellis Center, an organization in Detroit that has both a drop-in center and residential programs for LGBTQ youth.  Ruth Ellis estimates that there are 800 homeless teens in Detroit on any given day.  The situation in NYC is even worse.  According to this article, as of 2008 there were approximately 3,800 homeless youth in NYC, but the city had only 250 shelter beds reserved for teens.  Some knitting doesn't mean much in the face of those kinds of numbers, but hopefully these things will mean something to the 40 people who get them.

I'm already plotting my donation for next year.  I give cash when I can, which isn't as often as I'd like.  But in the meantime I have a cabinet full of yarn and all the time in the world.  For 2013 I hope to be able to donate 100 hats.

My Facebook Comment to Heterosexual Awareness Month

because they will delete it and block me any minute:

The "attack on marriage" (aka EQUALITY) does not cause suicide. Bullying and hate cause suicide. You really want to have an affect on the suicide rate? Stop pretending that heterosexuals are the injured party when it's the LGBTQ community that's being denied basic human rights. And stop telling kids that it's OK to bully and harass people who are different from themselves.

Heterosexual Awareness Month.  Yeah, right.  Like anyone, anywhere missed the fact that heterosexual people exist.