While I was at the doctor's office, one of the receptionists noticed my logo LV shoulder bag and said, "That's a really nice bag." I replied, "Oh, my girl friend gave it to me." She looked at me funny and repeated back, "Your girlfriend??" I clarified, "My girl *pause* friend, not girlfriend." The discomfort and suspicion disappeared from her face and she said, "You gotta be careful what you say these days, huh... Still, that's a really nice bag to have gotten from your girl friend. Very nice." "Yeah," I agreed. I didn't feel like telling her that it's actually a supercheap knockoff that my girl friend picked up while in China.

It bothered me a little that the woman seemed a little taken aback by the possibility that I have a girlfriend. I mean, you'd think she'd just nod and say, "Oh, how nice of your girlfriend to give you such a nice bag."... instead of trying to make sure she'd heard wrong. Sure, I was in an ob/gyn office, and most of the women they see there are on birth control pills or having babies. But that shouldn't lead to or excuse a surprised sort of reaction if one or more patients are lesbian or bisexual.