Analysis Of Dear Straight People By Denise Fohman

Heterosexuality. The norm. Man meets woman and they go on countless dates and share many passionate, public kisses. Pedestrians passing by witness their romantic gestures and are in awe of their romance and cannot help but think, “What a beautiful couple” and smile towards the new lovers. Homosexuality. A controversial word. Man meets man and they go on many dates and steal a kiss or two and get an abundant amount of looks of disgust and disapproval. A group of people passing through snicker and scream, “Faggots!” The romance is killed and the young couple is mortified. Dear Straight people, what are the differences between these two couples? Activists express their opinions on certain sensitive topics and publish literary works that carry special themes or messages. One poet in particular who truly stands out, especially in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is Denise Frohman whose work explores the intersections of gender and sexuality. Her most famous poem, “Dear Straight People,” is about how gay people feel the need to be hidden in the closet and constantly feel uncomfortable and threatened by straight people. Frohman seeks to challenge the borders that divide the human race and believes that people should …show more content…
She expresses this issue in her poem and says, “Dear Straight People, Kissing my girlfriend in public without looking to see who’s around is a luxury I do not fully have yet (Line 67).” Frohman acknowledges the potential threats or danger that can come from kissing her girlfriend in public. She does not feel free or possibly safe enough to kiss her girlfriend without being worried about what pedestrians passing by might think or act. Straight couples, however, have the opportunity to show their public displays of affection and not get any comments on