Editor’s note: We’ve asked online comedian, voice actor and chest hair model Sam Kalidi to create a new meme each week for Queerty readers. This week, to honor National Coming Out Day on Sunday, he examines how we feel about our closeted friends. Sam looks forward to all your hate mail. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and at your local glory hole.
Luis Collazo
No
Alex E Talamo
Yes
Jimmy McKinney
Oh yes I have. And also have seen a coworker that no one knew was gay.
William Meyer
I actually saw JFK Jr. at Belle’s in Birmingham, AL when I was in college there. True story people!
Glücklich
Nope.
Nathaniel McManus
Their secret was safe with me ð??
Joe
Yes. Several friends, several times. One friend completely ignored the fact I was there, finished his drink and ran.
Bauhaus
College. Not really my friends, just knew them. Mostly frat boys, a few guys from class, and some athletes. They always made a point of explaining they were there for the dancing, not the guys.
Glücklich
@Bauhaus:
We all know straight guys don’t go anywhere for dancing.
Londale Foster
Of course…I was once that Closeted Friend..
QJ201
Something that short should be posted as gif :/
AtticusBennett
i wrote an essay about it, actually:
http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/dad-says-youre-fag-hesaid/
QJ201
http://cdn.makeagif.com/media/10-09-2015/s6wE_G.gif
Bisexual-Transwoman
Nope.
I have seen friends who are gay who claim to be “monogamous” on hook up websites though like Craigslist and others.
Dave in Northridge
Oh, good lord, yes. Worst thing is that I was one of his direct reports. My late husband and I were sitting in the gay bar of the moment after work. He came in, took a look around, and when he saw me he RAN out of the bar. It didn’t end well.
Giancarlo85
Not really. But sort of. And it was a club.
Not a closeted friend, but rather a closeted classmate (when I was in undergrad). He wasn’t surprised to see me there lol… as I don’t hide… but he was really shy. I told him don’t ever let others get you down for who you are.
Doughosier
Yes. I saw a guy from high school, years ago, alone in a gay bar. He saw me and went into a long story about how he wasn’t gay, just a friend of the gays, blah, blah. Haven’t seen him since.
Kevin J Desmond
Yes … a manager of a store I used to work in and also dept head of a small hospital I worked at. Both of these guys knew I saw them but I never said anything about it.
Blair Stewart
Yes
Juarez Diehl
yes
Saint Law
@Giancarlo85: Did you do fingersnaps?
Richard Holaday
Never
Kelley Wilson
Yes… Brent
onthemark
@Dave in Northridge: I had a similarly awkward situation with a happier ending. Co-worker: very withdrawn computer geek. I was out at that job – large, gossipy office – but I’d never even heard a rumor he was gay. At the bar he was nervous, but happy to see me (as in, that wasn’t a banana in his pocket). I was too dumb to realize that after a bit of nervous chatting he’d nervously invite me to his place. Damn, that was awkward (for ME, never mind him) but I thought it would be almost mean to say no. The sex was okay and he was a nice guy. But after that I was much more cautious around closet-y types. I hope I helped him because I hear he’s out now!
Tracy Pope
A long time ago. I was 17 and had just gotten a (very bad) fake ID stating I was 21. I went to the only gay bar I knew about. As I walked in I could see three pool tables and the Youth and Choir Director from my church playing pool with several men at the center table. Instead of running frightened I went up and said hello (Naivete can be a wonderful thing sometimes!) He looked up startled and said “HEY! Let me introduce you to my friends. This is so-and-so, and this is so-and-so and I, OF COURSE, am ****” which was not his real name. All this with an effeminate flourish I had never seen from him in church or choir practice and an obvious attempt to curb any questions or too much information from myself. This man was married with TEN children. I never went back to church.