The sex is in the heel even if you break it
The sex is in the heel, honey you can’t fake it

I’d like to speak to the manager!!!

Gay Edition!

I spent 1987 and 1988 waiting tables at Bennigan’s.  It was located at The Lenox Mall, in Atlanta, back when the mall was only one floor, and Rich’s and Macy’s were the anchor stores.  Banana Republic still focused on cargo shorts.  Abercrombie and Fitch had not started selling sex yet.  Structure was a favorite store of mine.  

I’ve written about my time there, and how it was the beginning of my coming out.  

Everyone I worked with knew I was gay.  

And as with every restaurant, the cast of characters was ever changing.

The beginning of my first summer there, a very cute, very masculine young man was hired.  He was a very straight, very sheltered, straight fraternity guy.  (This becomes important later).  

He starts work, and I trained him one of his shifts.  Believe it or not, I was a trainer, in every restaurant I ever worked for.  I always loved it, because I felt like I was a great server, and could share my talent with others.  

I train him, and he becomes a real server. 

As he gets to know me, and the rest of the staff, he can’t believe all the gay people.

And he can’t believe that I’m gay, as I don’t look gay.  I’m assuming he meant that I didn’t walk the runway in front of the bar as Jason did.  And I didn’t wear makeup like Kelly did.  And I didn’t gesture with a limp wrist like Billy did.  

I however, did not hide it.  I sang showtunes in the kitchen.  I learned to be caddy along with the best of them.  And if you took a second look, the façade always gave way to the truth.  

Imagine my surprise, when one Saturday night, I’m waiting tables, and this young man comes in for dinner, with three of his fraternity brothers.  And ask to sit in my section.  

I wait on them, have fun teasing and joking around with them.  They pay the bill, tip me well and are on their way.  

A couple of days later, I work with this guy and he tells me why he wanted to sit in my section.  

He wanted his friends to meet a real life out of the closet gay guy, who didn’t look gay.  To him I was a novelty.  He’d never met someone who looked and acted straight who was gay.  

I took the comments with a grain of salt, understanding what he was trying to say.

However, I did say to him.

Greg, how many men are in your fraternity?  

He replied, 70.

I said, well think about this.  It is estimated that 10% of the population is gay.  So that means that 7 of your fraternity brothers are gay.  And I can assure you, it’s not the ones you think.  And I can assure you that a couple of them act straighter than me.   Think of that tonight as you are showering before bed.  

And I turned on my heels, and sashayed away, walking the runway in front of the bar.