It happened, it finally happened!

Wolsey got misgendered for the first time in over a year and a half. It wasn’t even because he “looked” like a woman, but because of heteronormative society expectations.

We ended up having to go to the pharmacy and it was packed. When I say packed, I mean there were 11 of us sitting in the waiting area with 10 chairs and we waited for 40 minutes (others had been there over 90). While we were sitting there, an older lady came and sat near us. I should have known it wouldn’t go well, the first thing out of her mouth was how phones are destroying our society and our interaction. If this was online, I would have used my meme showing people in the 1950s ignoring each other and reading papers. However, it wasn’t meant to be as I couldn’t just whip a meme at her.

After a while of forced conversation by her I started talking back. I knew it was going downhill fast when she started talking about Trump, and how people now won’t admit they voted for him. She repeated this multiple times. A short time later she then went on to quote some Trump stuff while saying she didn’t vote for him. She was excited that ACA was going away because she made too much money to use it and she was frustrated that she was left out. I can’t even imagine someone being joyful that other people are being thrown off of medically necessary treatment because you make too much money.

The old lady looked at me and asked if “you and her” voted for Trump. She half nodded at Wolsey. I immediately laughed and said not even close. It took me a second to realize she had misgendered Wolsey. Then I got angry, but before I could say anything, Wolsey blurted out “I am way too gay to vote for Trump”. He hadn’t noticed the gendering issue.

The old lady had noticed her mistake. She looked over at Wolsey and froze. This is when I realized she had never looked at Wolsey directly and didn’t realize he was a guy. She had just assumed because Wolsey is much smaller than me, and had assumed someone sitting so close to me must have been a woman. Wolsey’s very masculine haircut and beard were a clear indicator that he was not a woman. Evidently heteronormative society had not prepared the evil old lady that she might meet “the gays” at the pharmacy.

She shut up right there and didn’t say a word to us after that. She was freaking out we were a gay couple. It took all my effort not to laugh at her right there. Both Wolsey and I brought up gay issues a couple of times. I was not my better self and was enjoying antagonizing her. I wish I could say I wouldn’t do that again, but that would be a lie.

Wolsey and I still giggle about that. I am sure that will happen again, hopefully I will be wittier then.