It can be awkward to introduce yourself to new people, especially if you think there might be a chance for a romantic connection. That initial reaction can become slightly more awkward when you realize you're not on the same sexual wavelength.
Reddit user, u/bruh_bro_dude, wanted the answer to the question:
Straight people, have you ever been hit on by someone of the same gender? How did you react?
Never Turn Down A Free Drink
My old hometown watering hole turned into a quasi gay bar: the manager/bartender was gay, so it was kind of a natural progression.
Anyway, he would routinely come over and hand me drinks from this guy or that guy. I would always say, "You told him I'm not gay, right?" and he would laugh and go, "Yep! He still sent this over!"
I'd just nod at the guy and say thanks, but I really don't know what the end game was. I'm not outrageously attractive or anything, so I don't know why they were throwing away drinks on me, but I certainly appreciated it!
...Huh? Me?
GiphyI reacted in the moment very similarly to how I react when someone of not of the same gender hits on me: Obliviously.
Later on, when I realized it, I was flattered.
Just Go With It
Only time any stranger ever bought me a drink was a gay guy and I'm a straight guy.
Let me tell you ladies, even though he was flirting up the wrong tree, it was flattering as hell. If any woman did that, that confidence would absolutely have my attention.
Maneuver Them Away
Several times. Gay dudes tend to find me more attractive than ladies do.
I usually just let them know that I'm straight, thank them for their interest, and steer them in the direction of the last gay dude that hit on me.
Reorganize Signals
It's been a minute, but it was a simple "got my signals crossed." I told the other person I'm straight, though flattered, and we both moved on. This is how big kids are supposed to react.
Do Anything For A Sale
I used to work in sales. Old ladies and gay dudes were my bread and butter. I will flirt my butt off for a sale and there's nothing a gay dude thinks is funnier than a straight dude who's confident enough in his own sexuality to flirt with another dude.
That said, yes, I've been hit on. Typically I'd say something like, "Well, I'm not gay and I'm not curious, but boy if I were, I would rock your world."
It always felt less awkward when I'd make a joke about it and I don't think I ever had anyone upset by it.
Let Them Down Easy
I find it really flattering.
I feel like the compliments lesbians give to me are somehow more genuine then what men usually say. Also women take rejection a lot better. If I say I'm seeing someone men are very quick to assume I'm lying which I haven't seen is the case with women.
One Over The Other
I'm a rather unimpressive guy who is frequently hit on by gay guys. It gives me a load of confidence but frustrates me that a woman has never hit on me.
Pick Up Lines Out Of Anywhere
I was at a gay bar with some friends, mid-late 90s, and got the most... interesting pick-up line I've ever heard of, by a guy that apparently had a really good 70s.
I mean, this dude had his polyester shirt open down to his navel, with several gold chains nestled in his white chest hair. "Didn't I see you playing tuba at the Bach festival?" ... "Nope, sorry. " Then walked away before I laughed in his face! Nothing against him, or him trying to hit on me. I just hated disco in the 70s, and have ever since
Check The Ring
I had an older gentleman hit on me at the grocery store. I didn't realize he was asking me on a date for a second because I was shopping but I had noticed him popping up on a lot of the same aisles.
I held up my hand to show my ring and said I appreciate it man, but I'm married, to which he replied, "Just had to ask because you're cute."
I was definitely a little bashful and as he walked off I laughed at myself a little as I realized I was reaching for the fudge pops for my then sick wife as he had tapped me on the shoulder.
The Odd Quirks Hit Different Views
Im a tall lanky dude, with a boney face. I've been told im attractive, by a small amount of women. Now gay men? They have a strange obsession with me.
I worked at a cafe in a mall, had a good hair cut and I was young. The amount of shit that gay dudes said to me that I would not have expected to hear was real high. Now most of these guys worked in the mall so they knew me well enough, but damn. I think gay men are just much more forward.
Oblivious To The Obvious
Totally didn't realize. Just thought I was having a regular conversation with a guy until he asked for my number. He was disappointed to find out I'm straight. Even asked if I was lying to avoid giving him my number. My girlfriend at the time knew he was hitting on me and just stood back to watch. She was amazed at how oblivious I was.
Do People Even Look Up?
As a 125lb man in the military, I've been hit on several times by gay men.
Apparently I react the same way I do when women hit on me, I barely even notice.
Compliment Is A Compliment
A dude told me I had a nice a-- once.
Honestly, i don't know why, but it was somehow more satisfying than a woman giving me any compliment before.
Like, damn, he enjoyed my a-- so much that he risked telling me even though i was probably straight.
Awkward No Matter What
I meant to be cool and genuine and let her down easy... but I was terribly awkward and made it weird.
That's not because she's a girl though.
I'm an equal opportunity spaz.
Flattered And Confused
I'm a dude and I had another male classmate tell me he loved my muscles (I don't really have big muscles).
it was sort of weird for me especially because it was the first time anyone hit on me so I was both flattered and confused so I just asked for a seating movement and sat on the other side of class.
Wanting What Doesn't Come
Other guys have hit on me dozens of times. I just politely decline and feel flattered.
Meanwhile, three women in history have hit on me. I wish I didn't like the vajinga so much.
Dudes Are The Worse
Yup. I've been hit on by girls a lot. I honestly like it more than getting hit on by guys, even though I'm straight. Girls are less aggressive usually, and I've never had a girl tell me I'm a garbage person for rejecting them. Nor have I had lesbians tell me I should sleep with them to know for sure I'm straight.
I've had lesbian friends get hit on by men and have both of those things happen to them - dudes telling them they're sh-tty and all they need is some penis to "change their minds".
So yeah. Girls can hit on me all they want. It's not as threatening, never ends badly, and it boosts my confidence!
Speak Honestly And Openly
Just said I'm very flattered but not gay.
Had to do this more than once, never been a problem.
America the beautiful.
So much to see. So much to experience.
Just because we don't have exotic oceans and ancient history doesn't mean there isn't majesty to take in.
There are many vacations to put together.
And now we don't have to use a paper map to plan.
Our apps and GPS have it all planned out.
Redditor driedkitten wanted to compare notes about the greatest ways to see the USA, so they asked:
"Where is the most beautiful place in the United States?"
So far the cliffs of California is my favorite part of the US.
The Falls
niagara falls GIFGiphy"Subjective of course, but Crater Lake is certainly a sight to behold."
KaboodleMoon
"My home state of Oregon is full of beautiful places, South Umpqua falls, Illinois River, and Multnomah falls. Are some favorites."
jlp120145
Oh Hoh...
"A tie for Acadia, Hoh rainforest, and Rainier in the fall."
ParkLaineNext
"I was going to say Acadia. It's very underrated for some reason. My mom's friend by coincidence ended up being my English professor in college and we went on a trip to see family in ME. We stopped at Acadia for a day and she said it reminded her a lot of her visit to Greece."
NunChuckNorris007
"Hoh rainforest is absolutely devastatingly beautiful. Hiked the whole Hoh river trail when I was 17 and it's still near the top of the list for my favorite things I've ever done."
Hal9000_Red_Eye
In Awe
"Glacier national park. I was continuously in awe that the place was real life."
StrebLab
"The vistas of this road, on a motorcycle, were beyond breathtaking to experience. Would 100% do it again. Being on a bike allowed for stops at the waterfalls where there was no room for vehicles to pull over, and the views from the tunnels under the road were supernatural."
tastygrrrl
The Road Ahead
"There is a stretch of the Navajo reservation where there is no cell service, AM or FM radio reception. The road stretches before you for miles surrounded by red rocks touching blue sky. The buzzing undercurrent of modern connectivity fades away and your brain can be truly still."
tulleandtiaras42
"We did a little unscheduled off-roading in that area when we came to a road closed barrier. A Navajo couple pulled up alongside us while we pondered the dirt road heading roughly in the direction we wanted to go and assured us it was passable. Really lonely place... but wonderful."
KaleidoscopeWeird310
On a Clear Day
Mountain GIF by Sunshine VillageGiphy"Mount Rainier."
WWDB
"If I stand right at the doorjamb of my front door on a clear day, I have a beautiful view. I owned this house for 15 years before I figured that out. You can't see it from any other position in the doorway, or if you're outside."
Wise_Ad_4816
Mountains are hot. That is all.
See the Country
Happy Dance GIF by PLAYMOBILGiphy"Depends on what you’re looking for. The United States is a big place."
"For me - Hawaii is hard to beat."
Own-Willingness-3935
Beautiful scenery...
"Zion National Park is the most well-known place in Utah. But my entire state is an outdoorsman's paradise. LOTs of beautiful scenery in both the northern and southern parts of the state."
nekor18670
"Totally!!! And it’s very different. I personally prefer Southern Utah because the red rocks make me feel like I’m on Mars. But I grew up in the salt lake valley, so the mountains lost a lot of their majesty. But if I’m being honest, I miss them terribly."
Bye-sexual-band-n3rd
Smell the old growth
"I’m incredibly biased, but the most beautiful place is the California redwoods. Drive up 101, and then detour towards Petrolia. There is absolutely nothing like it. Roll down your windows and drive 35mph. Smell the old growth. Stop at the pull out. Take a small hike. It’s worth it."
Altril2010
"Yes, 100%. My brother lives in McKinleyville and I am going to see him the end of April. Can't wait. It's my happy place. They are like the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls... you have to see them to believe them. Those redwoods are something else!"
strongy78
Utopia
"Yosemite! You drive thru the tunnel and come out the other side. Looks like heaven/Utopia."
Socalrdb
"Did a hike in Yosemite on January 1 last year. A spectacular way to start the year. I had seen photos of it, seen it in movies, watched countless videos on Youtube about it but -nothing- prepares you for the sight of El Cap as you turn that corner. I was very nearly moved to tears."
ThrustersToFull
Amazing
Episode 1 Boat GIF by The SimpsonsGiphy"The Shenandoah Valley. Its an amazing place if you're an outdoorsman. Hiking, fishing, hunting, bird watching, camping."
homoco4396
All the wonders of the world. I may have to check all of these out.
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.
Redditor bluscorp91 wanted to hear about the things we really need to financially evaluate, so they asked:
"Which everyday item do people waste too much money on?"
I waste on takeout. I can't help it. I'm me.
Go to the Fountain
Scared 30 Rock GIF by HULUGiphy"Water."
brakjeeptj
"If you have safe tap water witch most people in Europe, Australia, and US/Canada has you can save thousands on water. One gallon costs under a dollar from the tap, and one gallon from the store will cost 5 dollars or more."
mincraftpro27
Tea at Home
"Takeout coffees."
LucyVialli
"What I don’t get is how people have TIME for that in the morning."
"There’s a coffee stand place by me that consistently has a huge line that sometimes blocks traffic. The few times I have been there on days off I have waited over 20 mins and that wasn’t even during rush hour."
"Like who has time to spend 20-40 mins before work in line getting coffee?!?"
pooponacandle
Skins
"Fortnite."
anyma6
"The skins are cool as sh*t, I'll admit it, but damn, $20 per skin? People are out here claiming it's fine because it's a free game, but $20 per skin means if you have 3 skins, you could've gotten a completely different game all together. And most kids have hundreds of skins. My coworkers son spends all of his allowance, Christmas, and birthday money on Fortnite skins."
"He's claimed that his son has spent over $1200 on Fortnite. That's f**king insane."
"My buddies are full grown men and they buy like one skin ever 4-5 days, it's crazy. They spend anywhere from $80-$120 a month on Fortnite. I literally don't understand at all. It's an entire bill to pay every month. I play it with them from time to time and only have like three skins. I still feel like I spent too much on that."
B3RS3RK_CR0W
Vroom
"Cars. I don't know how so many people can afford the mortgage on cars that cost twice the average annual salary around here. And they are legion."
"If you want to save money, you drive a 10+ year old beater. It is paid for, you will have to repair it every year for a couple of hundred bucks, but the cost per mile is a fraction of that for a new Polestar 2 or Volvo XC60."
"I'm guessing I am seeing the caste that lucked out on the housing market."
Derpygoras
For Good
Mothers Day Netflix GIF by Grace and FrankieGiphy"Netflix."
OptimumRedditor
"10 bucks a month is worth it."
RandomBloke2021
"Netflix prime Hulu, Appletv, Disney+ and all that crap that we can just find free on the internet free. Hell no I'm not paying for 100 different subscription services."
gracie4questions
There are way too many options. YouTube is cheaper.
MOOOO!!!
Stone Cold Reaction GIF by WWEGiphy"My Family spends A LOT of money on milk, since my entire family drink like 2 bottles a day total. Not with coffee or anything, just plain milk."
MonkeeBoi123
All that milk... I hope they change the flavors.
Last Call
Happy Hour Drinking GIFGiphy"Alcohol."
orbittheorb
"Buying alcohol at the bars. Seriously, downtown Chicago, 'Can I please have 2 rum & cokes and a Bud Light?'"
"'Ok that will be $35.'"
"Forget that mess."
Angel--Wonderland
A Communication Must
"Phones."
DrLycFerno
"I'm going to disagree since you left your reply so basic. Now if you buy the newest phone at launch, and repeat that every new release, yes that is wasteful. I bought a 1 year old model 4 years ago and it's still fine. If it turned into a brick tonight, I would drop like $800 on a 1 year old model and be good for several more years. That isn't wasteful."
somedude456
Need a Roof
"Rent."
abby_normally
"If our economy wasn't trash right now, I'd say buy your own place. I rented for 3 months then bought... renting is like flushing your money and any potential home equity (God I hate that word these days) down the toilet."
Runner_Girl1217
"It’s too expensive but unless you’re living outside your means the money is not wasted. Shelter is pretty important, it’s right up there with food and water."
HutSutRawlson
Clean Up
Toilet Paper Poop GIF by Paper PooGiphy"Toilet paper. Wash your butt with water, and you can save tons of toilet paper."
"Never could understand what it is with toilets with nowhere to wash, and walking around with chocolate caked holes."
lefttheovenoff
Next Day Problems
"Surprised no one else has said this. Throwing away left over food instead of eating it later. I've worked in the restaurant industry for years and it's appalling the amount of food that gets thrown away that would be perfectly fine the next day. I constantly pack my leftovers and eat them for lunch."
Angel--Wonderland
We really need to evaluate our spending.