Queer as a $3 Bill, by Lewis Thompson

I see little in common between being “queer” (in so far as that term is used in reference to someone’s sexual orientation) and a “$3 bill”.  This room at the GBLT Center of Denver is filled with individuals of a sexual orientation that has been and still is often self-described as “queer”, that term having lost its pejorative connotation not so long ago.  As for the $3 bill, can I see by a show of hands how many of us have ever seen one? [pause]

A much more apropos expression would be “queer as a $2 bill”.  By this I do not mean to further devalue gays but simply to recognize the fact that $2 bills exist.  I enjoy carrying them in my wallet.  For one thing they are handy for tipping.

This topic begs the question as to how many of us there are—queer folk, that is.  And are there degrees of queerness?  It is related to flamboyance?  Affect?  Appearance?  Lifestyle?  In my experience, I would have to say that the long-tenured belief that queers comprised 10% of the population has long been discredited, unless you want to include men and women who admire their own bodies, in which case the number would likely be much, much higher.  Based upon my personal observations, I would have to estimate the fraction of humans who indentify as queer to be in the order of 1-2%.  I have attended every one of Hutchinson, Kansas, High School’s Class of 1964 reunions.  Out of a class of 450, to my knowledge, I am the only alumnus who is “out of the closet”.  There are a few “suspicious” characters among the lot but nothing definitive.  Based upon that unscientific observation, I would have to conclude that queers comprise about 0.4% of the general population—roughly equivalent to my estimate of the fraction of $2 bills within the wallets and purses of the American populace.

If it weren’t for our straight allies, I think we would be much worse off, both spiritually and physically.  So, allow me to raise a toast to all those “$1 bills” that have kept us safe and allowed us the freedom to show our true colors.

© 14 Mar 2016 

About the Author 

I came to the beautiful state of Colorado out of my native Kansas by way of Michigan, the state where I married and had two children while working as an engineer for the Ford Motor Company. I was married to a wonderful woman for 26 happy years and suddenly realized that life was passing me by. I figured that I should make a change, as our offspring were basically on their own and I wasn't getting any younger. Luckily, a very attractive and personable man just happened to be crossing my path at that time, so the change-over was both fortuitous and smooth.

Soon after, I retired and we moved to Denver, my husband's home town. He passed away after 13 blissful years together in October of 2012. I am left to find a new path to fulfillment. One possibility is through writing. Thank goodness, the SAGE Creative Writing Group was there to light the way.