It Was Thrilling Being Mistaken For A Straight Guy. Here's What Changed My Mind.

The author and his friend Megan at different points on their cross-country road trip. I’m not sure that would have been the case if Saul were at my side wearing one of his “I Love My Cats” T-shirts. Was it wrong that I was getting a thrill out of being thought of as “normal” after a lifetime of internalizing messages that gay wasn’t as good as straight and being made to feel like my queerness was, at best, a little weird, and often something much, much more terrible? And I often think back to the day after my sister died, when an old friend called to tell me she was sorry for my heartbreaking loss before cheerfully adding, “Oh, and I want you to know I’m OK with you being gay!” I’ve celebrated decades of Pride Months being “here and queer,” and I’ve participated in countless marches. Keith Hoffman is finishing his memoir, “The Summer My Sister Grew Sideburns.” He has written for television shows such as “The Secret World of Alex Mack,” “Sister Sister” and the popular Nickelodeon cartoon “Doug.” He was a producer for the GLAAD Award winning series “30 Days,” and currently serves as executive producer for Animal Planet/Discovery, where he produced 10 seasons of “Finding Bigfoot.” His essays have appeared in HuffPost, New York Daily News and Grub Street Literary Journal.