I just had an odd experience at work, and I thought about it my entire ride home. I work in a very stifled environment, where personality is frowned upon.

There is a sales guy that works there that is friendly, outgoing, and a little different from the other stiffs. I actually ran into him one night while my boyfriend (fiance!) and I were out in a city that is well-known as a place that a lot of gay people live, go to school, and hang out. Very gay friendly, and fun too. That being said, you'd think a guy that was hanging out in a bar in this city would be down with the gays...but read on.

I was talking to him at work, and I told him that the previous weekend we had gone up to the same bar that I had seen him at before, and he said that he was around the city the same weekend. I mentioned that the night we were there was some kind of Gay Pride party going on...and this is where it got weird. As I spoke, his expression shifted, kind of closed, and he started backing away from me. His entire demeanor changed, and I got the distinct impression that he didn't want to be involved in a conversation that involved the words "gay" and "pride," lest someone mistake him as homosexual. I found myself becoming embarrassed, and I didn't know why. It was an awkward moment, even more awkward than usual in such a socially awkward atmosphere.

Here's my question: Why is it considered so wrong, shameful, negative, whatever, to be gay in our society? Why do people get so hush-hush when the word "gay" is spoken? Why did a normal conversation turn into such a mess because of the two words, gay and pride? It's 2009, for Christ's sake.

Was it the work environment that made him close up? His personal beliefs? Religion? I don't get it. I'll never understand people's desire to suppress the rights of other human beings just because they lead a different lifestyle, and I don't understand why people consider it distasteful to even talk about.

I have three gay friends who all took years to come out of the closet and finally tell their family and friends that they're gay - why? Because of society. Because we're taught that anyone different than the rich white men in power are bad, wrong, and should be shunned, and the people who are different believe it.

It's changing, slowly but surely, but obviously not soon enough.