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December 29, 2005

Ignorance is UG-ly

Tonight Cameron and I went to the holiday boys basketball tourny semi-finals at Meramac. I have to be honest and say that I love HS sports. Just like college is better than pro for fans and guts and glory, HS is better than college - though college has more skill. But I digress.

Webster got upset in the first game - badly - by Hazelwood Central. We stayed for the first quarter of the second game, Kirkwood vs. Troy. Not Troy, IL, but Troy, MO, which is I don't know where. Kirkood brought cheerleaders. Only 4. Three girls and a boy. Two hot girls, an albino girl, and a boy who really, really, really wished he were a girl. Or at least was on a dare to. He had his hair in two afro-puff ponytails, and he was wearing diamond earings (though so was half the HC team), and his moves, kicks and jumps but Kirsten Dunst and Gabrielle Union to SHAME. He. Was. FIERCE.

Before the game started, I heard the woman behind me commenting on the guy - something about flaming and/or not being sure it was a girl or a guy. The game started, and after a few cheers, she says "say, shut up, faggot!"

I turned, slowly, and gave her the nastiest look. I didn't turn all the way around, but around enough to be sure she knew the turn and the look were meant for her. Didn't hear a word out of her after that.

Now, I myself definitely noticed the guy, definitely was amused, and made sure that Cameron saw how fierce his jumps were (he was _trying_ to watch, what - the game??). This guy got so many props for being 100% who he wanted to be - maybe 120%. But I don't think I'm wrong in feeling as though her comment, shouted in a crowd with two children on her lap, was just ignorant.

It's easy to forget that those people are out there - or at least to forget that they can look like soccer moms. And the scariest part is that her kids will learn that that kind of ignorance and disrespect is ok.

I'm kinda kicking myself for not saying something. At the time, I wasn't 100% sure what she'd said, but in retrospect, and later when Cameron told me all the other stuff she was saying that I didn't hear, it was perfectly clear. I wish I would have done what I always say I'd do to people that ignorant, which is point and laugh. GRRR.

Posted by nikl at December 29, 2005 10:44 PM

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