(For the regulars, I’ve been meaning to post to my “All Dogs go to Heaven,,, Right?” thread).

But I have a much more pressing issue.

Some / one of neighbors thinks I’m gay. I don’t have a problem with gay folks. I’m,,,,,,,,just not gay. Like folks with tattoos / piercings. I know a couple of men / 1 woman with “ink”, even worked with a fellow. All nice / smart people. I just don’t get it. Live & let live.

The issue: after mowing the lawn the other day, I was out spraying the weeds in my gravel drive & other spots. I distinctly heard, from a window somewhere, what I took to be a child, from speaking age to about 5 to 6, saying,” Gay, Gay, Gaaaaaay (but with the F word, seems I can't use it to describe myself),,,,,,,,,,Loooooooserr”. This got to me. This voice didn’t seem old enough to understand the meaning of “the F word”. So, this “voice” seems to have over heard or was told by an “adult” to say this.

Tonight, I worked on finishing a patio paver project that started last summer. I live on the corner lot, with a garage, I have no back yard, all “front”. All the kids were out playing / riding bikes. Being kids. I thought I heard “the F word”. I looked up. There was a girl, about 7-10, much too young to be “sporting” breasts, with cups or something under her shirt, sitting / pausing on the sidewalk, right where I could see her, looking at me.

The kids tend to “disappear” when I come from work, not the same time.

I wanted to yell, “ Go tell you Momma / Dada to come down here & say that to my face”!

My issues:
I’m an adult, being harassed by children
I’m being sexually harassed by my “adult” neighbors.
I’m being harassed by my “adult” neighbors, for bigoted reasons.
Is saying sexually harassed by children going to far?

My crime? Choosing to wear, what I find to comfortable, a kilt. A kilt is also a white MANS skirt.

Should I call the police / file a report ( I don’t know exactly which house / person)?

Should I put a note to the neighbors in one of those “free, take one signs?

Should I put a chalkboard out in the yard with a “please leave comments about your neighbor” on it? (My first thought).

Oh its the kilt all the way. And since norms aren't being respected, these adults result to fear induced, name-calling toddler behavior. Except its passive aggressive and being passed down to their kids. Its like 5th graders being role models for the next generation.
The best thing you can do is be yr awesome self, and teach by being the example of the world they are otherwise missing out on. This is a shit stage they're in. I remember being a bigoted little shit myself. I didn't know any different, but eventually learned that my mom is who I never wanted to be, and wised up.

1. I imagine your kilt is a clan plaid (tartan). That helps distinguish it from a skirt. Get a bagpipe and learn how to play. Eventually some kid will ask something and you can tell him that not only to Scots wear kilts, Princes Charles, William and the other princes all wear kilts on occasion!
2. You should send some pictures to your neighbors of the above, easily found on the web. You can also provide pictures of bands of bagpipers.

Complaining to the police is not the way to go. For starters, no crime has been committed. Kids are free to say whatever they want, as are adults. "Sexual harassment," is almost entirely a workplace /civil matter. Filing a complaint now will make it all the harder to file a complaint down the road if your neighbors engage in serious illegal behavior. So, save yourself the grief, be an adult, and don't call the cops because kids are saying mean things.

If you want to resolve this, go knock on your neighbor's door. Ask to speak to the father or mother. It may just be kids being idiot kids and parroting the words of older siblings. You're making assumptions here about bigotry and leveling accusations you have no right to make. Talk with your neighbors, tell them you've heard their kids saying disrespectful things. Let your neighbors address the disciplining of their children.

I don't want to sound condescending, but few things aggravate me more than people who expect the police to be their personal conflict counselors. There are a finite amount of police resources.

You knew wearing a kilt outside of certain situations was going to be considered unusual, right? And you knew there are unenlightened, reactionary, sexually insecure jerks around, right? So...

Crazy how people hate what they dont understand. Last year I spent 4 months, full time, cleaning the shoulders of the highways and neighborhoods, picking up scrap metal and aluminum cans. There were several times people had called the cops on me, and a bunch of times that they screamed and chucked bottles at me. There are alot of really ignorant people out there. I just try to remember that I have been ignorant too and remind myself that I am supposed to be a hard determinist, and try to forgive them since I couldnt really do anything else.

On the bright side, I did receive tips and meals from people. My biggest tip was a $100 bill. :0



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2013 10:48AM by homoerectus.

Talk to the parents of the kids and explain that their dear offspring are using offensive language. And do realize that a kilt will draw attention to you (both positive and negative) when worn around your average North American neighborhood.