The 2000s Made Me Gay

I'm a 90s baby.

I grew up in such a weird time because a lot of my experiences are the same as Millennials. But my sister, also a 90s baby, is Gen-Z; so I have a lot of those experiences too. But overall, we thrived in the 2000s.

 

When I saw the title of this book, I instantly pre-ordered.

We're currently living in the gayest decade of all time.

90% of my friends are a part of the gay community.

I'm an ally.

I was once described as being "too straight to watch Glee" which is still one of the funniest things I've ever heard. That being said, there's a lot in this book that I relate to and find absolutely hilarious. So instead of recapping the entire book, I'm going to hit on my favorite essays.

"Disney Channel Presents: Sappic Overtones"

This essay killed me because the day I read it also happened to be the day my coworkers and I were talking about old DCOMs and which ones were our favorite. I immediately mentioned all of the one's that happen to be talked about in this chapter. I mentioned Motocrossed, the movie where cheerleader Andi chops off all her hair in an attempt to compete in place of her motocross star brother. Then obviously I brought up Double Teamed, the movie that follows twin basketball stars who actually look nothing alike. We jumped to High School Musical, which stars one of Disney's most notorious closeted characters, Ryan Evans. 

 

But the one that really got me......Cadet Kelly. I actually watched this a few months ago and had all the same revelations as Grace Perry did. This movie takes place in a military academy for middle schoolers and holy shit. The sexual tension is RIPE with queer undertones. Anyway, I'm obsessed with this movie.

"Taylor Swift Made Me A U-Haul Dyke"

I'm not gonna lie, I'm a die hard Swiftie. So when I saw this essay, I quickly knew where it was going to end up. Grace Perry mentions finding T. Swift's album Fearless as a freshman in college. As she was still semi-closeted, she saw this album for what it really was, a story that never actually happened. Taylor Swift has notoriously written songs all about her love life, looking at you Joe Jonas. But in the last few years, the gay community as embraced Taylor Swift and speculated that she may be a wee bit gayer than she thinks. I've fallen down this rabbit hole too many times, and honestly I'm not, not convinced. But the hilarity behind Grace Perry finding Taylor Swift is that the angsty teen romance is exactly what Grace is looking for in relationships. The energy that comes with starting a new relationship is something that she thrives off of and it's all thanks to 16 year old Taylor Swift who sang about kissing in the rain.

"The Glee Bubble"

Now, I have watched my fair share of Glee because my sister was a theater kid, loved singing, and was overall just obsessed with the show. Like Grace Perry said all throughout the book, she didn't see many LGBTQ+ kids on TV or in books when she was growing up and figuring herself out. But Glee fixed that for the next generation. For those of you who have never seen Glee, it follows a group of theater kids, cheerleaders, and jocks all throughout their high school experience. It featured literally everyone, from LGBTQ+ students to disabled students to students of color. It gave them all a voice on mainstream television and we can thank the amazing Ryan Murphy for that.

I think the best part of this book is that Grace Perry created a masterpiece based on an entire generation of kids who had to figure it all out without the inclusivity we have today. Gen-Z as a whole has such an open mind and open heart. They have the freedom to explore their sexuality. Social media has created a space where teens today can be their truest self. They have access to so many resources that they never need to feel truly alone. I think it's a beautiful thing.