Blue Collar Gay Guys

[earllogjam]

I was wondering if there are any blue collar gay guys on this board and how you deal with your gayness at work. Are you out and is it OK or do you just keep it to yourself? Do you ever resent the gay stereotypes which never fit you?

 

[fortiesfun]

There certainly are some blue collar gay guys on our site. I am not sure if any have contacted you directly, but I'll put a bug or two in some ears as this is a very interesting question.

 

[Dave NoCal]

This doesn't really qualify because I'm a teacher. But I live in a small community out of town and do a lot of physical work. For example, I basically built my house and pretty routinely use and work on various kinds of tools. Anyway, most of the neighbors are blue collar businessmen. That is HVAC contractor, electical contractor, manufactured home salesperson, masonry supply business owner. Everyone knows of our situation and pretty much everyone has been friendly. They will ask in a normal neighborly way "How is James?" or "Can I borrow your compressor?" or "do you need to borrow my backhoe?" I treat it as a non-issue and it seems like others do too.
Dave

 

[Lucky_Luke]

I was wondering if there are any blue collar gay guys on this board and how you deal with your gayness at work. Are you out and is it OK or do you just keep it to yourself? Do you ever resent the gay stereotypes which never fit you?

All it does is reinforce the stereotype that blue collar workers are a bunch of uneducated rednecks.

I work with lots of them. It is really hard to not assume they are all uneducated rednecks when they work so hard to prove it on a daily basis.

Most of them hate niggers and pakis more than they hate homos though. Such kind hearted souls they are.

Oddly enough - some of the most interesting and intelligent 'blue collar' types I've ever met are the non-white ones. I can't imagine how they put up with the bullshit of their asshole co-workers though.

Without a doubt, university educated white people tend to act like hypocritical and self-important assholes, but this pales beside the seething hatreds that these 'blue collar types' seem to habour and nurture.

 

[IntoxicatingToxin]

All it does is reinforce the stereotype that blue collar workers are a bunch of uneducated rednecks.

I work with lots of them. It is really hard to not assume they are all uneducated rednecks when they work so hard to prove it on a daily basis.

Most of them hate niggers and pakis more than they hate homos though. Such kind hearted souls they are.

Oddly enough - some of the most interesting and intelligent 'blue collar' types I've ever met are the non-white ones. I can't imagine how they put up with the bullshit of their asshole co-workers though.

Without a doubt, university educated white people tend to act like hypocritical and self-important assholes, but this pales beside the seething hatreds that these 'blue collar types' seem to habour and nurture.

Wow, is someone bitter much? I personally don't think I know any homosexuals in the blue collar workforce... but I know plenty of straight men in it, and they are all accepting of homosexuals and people of other ethnicities.

 

[BIGBULL29]

Wow, is someone bitter much? I personally don't think I know any homosexuals in the blue collar workforce... but I know plenty of straight men in it, and they are all accepting of homosexuals and people of other ethnicities.

I don't think Lucky_Luke is acting bitterly. He's just stating his mind. I agree with what he said for the most part.

I was raised around blue-collar men most of my life, and let me tell you this: Many are very uneducated and dangerously narrow-minded. However, there are always those break stereotypes. Also, I have no desire to hang with that mentality (no pun intended).

Yes, there are gay blue collar men, but most are not ever going to be "out."
It's culture all until itself (construction work, masons, mechanics, etc).

 

[earllogjam]

There is a difference between having an education and being educated. You can buy yourself a college degree but still not be very educated. The most well read person I know is a friend who happens to be truck driver. He is very up on English literature, philosophy and quite worldly, all self taught. My dad was a blue collar type, very intelligent without a college degree, not book smart but making things smart.

I wonder if gay guys naturally gravitate towards professions that are more accommodating of their sexuality or they just like less "macho" professions.

Where are all you blue collar gay guys? Com'on now.

 

[Lex]

...
I wonder if gay guys naturally gravitate towards professions that are more accommodating of their sexuality or they just like less "macho" professions.

Where are all you blue collar gay guys? Com'on now.

Gay men gravitate towards ALL kinds of jobs, just like every other man on the planet. To my knowledge there are not professions that are more "accommodating" of different gender preferences for either men or women.

I admit to liking rugged looking men, but I am not buying into the whole nuveau-redneck shit that has every hick (no offense, HickBoy) shaving his head, waving a rebel flag, watching NASCAR and drinking Budlight.

It sounds like you are trying to aks if any gay men on this site who consider themselves to be blue collar are closeted or out and if so (in either case) why and if they find it challenging (either decision)?

Am I right?

 

[earllogjam]

Lex, Lots of straight men aspire to become interior decorators, fashion designers and hair dressers. lol No, I get your drift. Us gays are everywhere. I've known some gay cops, alarm installers, pool cleaners, ranchers, road workers but they have been few. Most were closeted at work because it was just easier to get along (this is probably true for many gay men but it seems more so in blue collar jobs).

The gay guy that was out was my police friend and he got a lot of shit over it, was harrassed and bullied at first until he just harrassed them back, didn't take their shit, eventually got their respect and earned a place in the force as a openly gay man.

Yes, I am curious if there are blue collar gay men on this site, how their being gay affects their job or not, and if they are openly gay at work.

 

[kalipygian]

I have a rainbow sticker on my hardhat, and one on each vehicle, no one has ever mentioned it.
I was attending college in interior Alaska during the pipeline construction period, I signed up with a union intending to work just a summer, and decided to continue with it, too good of pay to pass up. Likewise for many students and faculty. I have continued to work in heavy construction since, periodically. The union membership here is not typical, much more varied. Two members of my local are in the legislature at present, two others were in the past, as well as two state labor commisioners, and a university regent.
Last summer, two co workers brought their families to our Gay Pride celebration, and mentioned they saw me in the parade.
I am collecting union retirement and also working part time formbuilding, and part time at my own business.

 

[earllogjam]

I have a rainbow sticker on my hardhat, and one on each vehicle, no one has ever mentioned it.
I was attending college in interior Alaska during the pipeline construction period, I signed up with a union intending to work just a summer, and decided to continue with it, too good of pay to pass up. Likewise for many students and faculty. I have continued to work in heavy construction since, periodically. The union membership here is not typical, much more varied. Two members of my local are in the legislature at present, two others were in the past, as well as two state labor commisioners, and a university regent.
Last summer, two co workers brought their families to our Gay Pride celebration, and mentioned they saw me in the parade.
I am collecting union retirement and also working part time formbuilding, and part time at my own business.

I know that there are many more men than women in Alaska. Are there quite a few gay men who live up there? It sounds like being gay is a non issue for most frontier folk up there.

 

[craftsman]

Am a blue collar buttfucker myself and it's not nearly as bad as you'd think, to hear the sort of third party BS that gets slung about blue collar folks the same way most non-southerners talk about the South. Are there dumb folks? Oh yeah. Racist idiots? Damn right. But honestly, people tend to give you respect when you play the way they play, which means you cuss like a sonuvabitch, joke about every goddamn thing, and do your own damn work and do it well. I see just as much racist, stupid ignorance coming from hoity toity white collar wasps as I do from the blue collar set, but it's just couched in terms of forced or faked tolerance. Give me an honest racist any day over some six-figure prig who claims to be open minded but doesn't have one black friend and never would.

Sometimes, it's a pain, and you sure do hear some stupid, obnoxious shit when you're working. Other times, you'll have a guy who's a lifelong republican church-goin' bubba pat you on the back when you're feeling down after a relationship with another guy goes bad and say "shit, buddy, that really sucks," and suddenly the divide doesn't seem nearly so profound.

 

[earllogjam]

Sometimes, it's a pain, and you sure do hear some stupid, obnoxious shit when you're working. Other times, you'll have a guy who's a lifelong republican church-goin' bubba pat you on the back when you're feeling down after a relationship with another guy goes bad and say "shit, buddy, that really sucks," and suddenly the divide doesn't seem nearly so profound.

Craftsman, Hey guy thanks for responding. I was beginning to think you guys don't exist. I have a feeling lots of blue collar gay guys from small towns move to places like Atlanta to just be with other gay guys. I think blue collar guys are more down to earth and honest about their feelings. If they hate you they'll tell you to your face but I know a lot of married blue collar guys that like to play with other guys - just don't mention the word "gay" and they are fine. Where do you find guys out there?