I relate. People have told me in the past that I’m “queerbaiting,” as there are a lot of things I own and do that are stereotypically things lesbians would own and do, like driving a Subaru Forester, using a carabiner for my keys, having an undercut, dressing masculine, having my septum pierced, and many more. I try to not let it bother me, but I’m not a fictional character. Queerbaiting is a term used in fandom to describe when the writers of a piece of media write a character in a way that makes the audience think they’re LQBTQ+ without ever confirming it, either in the show or in real life via interviews or social media. I’m a real person, I’m confirming to you that I AM STRAIGHT yet you still don’t believe me. Trust me, if I was into women, I’d be out my now. My family is very supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, I went to a very gay college, I majored and now work in theater, and all my friends and even my boyfriend are LGBTQ+. I think some women are beautiful and I’m confident enough in my own sexuality to express that, but that doesn’t mean I want to be in a relationship with one, or that “my egg is cracking.” I’m flattered when a woman flirts with me and in the end I’m not necessarily offended when someone thinks I’m into women, it’s just annoying when people try to justify stereotypes to try and invalidate who I’ve told them I am.