Hahaha, I just get sick and tired of homophobia.
To tell you the truth, it's really just a matter of respecting other people's culture.
I'm American and I live in Italy...I'm in the AF. Since Italy is the fashion capital of the world, you can imagine some of the wild things you might see people wearing. The people here are very, very warm and kind, very loving and affectionate. There is no homophobia here, people are just peaceful...besides, I've never seen more beautiful women in my life...I'm in love with the Italians. Being that there is little homophobia and the fact that it's the fashion capital of the world, a lot of other Americans see how some of the Italian men dress, how they act, how they show affection. Personally, I prefer hanging out with my Italian friends more than the Americans here; Americans want to get drunk, fight, and just act stupid. The Italians are a very passionate people, very caring, and they show their affection to each other that makes homophobic Americans cringe...it's hilarious. A standard greeting is two kisses on the cheeks, man or woman, for someone you are good friends with. They'll put their arms around you, they have very little personal space because everyone is so intimate with each other.
I'm in a band over here, and my drummer, Andrea, when we all start drinking (don't ever try to outdrink the Italians...you'll die), he'll sneak up behind you while you're looking the opposite direction, pull down his pants, and rest his bare ass on your back...IT'S FUCKIN' HILARIOUS, BUT FREAKS YOU OUT AT THE SAME TIME...he does this with his GORGEOUS girlfriend too...she's a sport. So anyway, he did it to me last weekend, and I grabbed my cigarette lighter and lit his ass hair on fire. This is just how they joke around...it's no big deal.
But it's no big deal to see two guys walking down the street, wearing really tight blue jeans and fashionable shirts with their arms around each other...they're most probably just best friends. This is where it boggles the stupid Americans' minds. They just can't wrap their mind around the fact that people over here don't wear clothes that hang off their asses and drag the ground...it's NOT stylish to look like a homeless person here. Instead, you'll see them wearing Gucci, Versace, etc...and our perception of men wearing those clothes has always been, "Oh he must be gay, because a straight man doesn't know how to dress that well." Over here, almost all of them are this way...it's just accepted. It's a different culture, and you must respect that culture and lose all those stereotypes.
On the flip side of that, the women wear next to nothing here...seriously. I've seen women practically topless walking down the street...it's no big deal. They embrace the human body, not repress it like the American culture.
In America, if you saw a man and a woman kissing very passionately, a lot of people think "Get a room" or something like that. Not here. Italy is for lovers...there is so much love in this place. You don't have to be embarrassed to kiss your girlfriend HOW YOU WANT TO KISS HER in public...and it's not that they leave you alone, they just don't care! They don't even notice you. For instance, I met my Italian girlfriend at the Gods of Metal concert in Milan, and we were standing at the beer counter, practically in the way of everyone else, just kissing each other for about an hour straight. People didn't notice, they didn't care. They went around us. It's a beautiful thing here...you don't get dirty looks or nasty stares. It's so beautiful because they MEAN it...they live their lives to the fullest and love with every ounce of their being. Italian women are much more loyal, passionate, full of life, and willing to share so much of themselves with the person they love more than the average American woman. Not to say that there aren't any decent Americans left, not at all. But no culture...NO CULTURE ON THE FACE OF THIS EARTH is as passionate about life and love as the Italians. When you experience this, you will have a whole new outlook on love and life...hetero or homo.
