In this piece, youth producer Bebe explores how being gay has become a fad among her female peers, so much so that it’s hard to be taken seriously as someone who is actually gay. At her school in New York, popular girls “play” gay, but it is unclear as to why. She attributes this openness towards gayness to celebrities like Lady Gaga, who advocate and celebrate what has been normally deemed as “weird” or “alternative.” I chose to write about this piece because when I was in middle school, all of my peers policed each other’s sexuality. Being gay was not a good thing and definitely kept a secret. This piece makes me questions whether “playing gay” is new thing or just a continuation of exotifying lesbians for the male gaze.

Listen and think about it.