It’s happened to you.
It’s happened to your friends.
And let’s be honest: it’s happened to everyone at some point.
You’re out in public – maybe on the bus – and you see a same-sex couple who attract your attention.
They’re unfathomably gorgeous, and you find yourself casting longing – or hateful, depending on your mood – looks in their direction.
And then one of them looks at you.
And you avert your gaze, totally inconspicuously, except now you’re sweating because you’re so very sure that they saw you staring.
The thought goes through your mind: what if they thought I saw judging them?
Oh god, what if they thought I was hating on them for being so clearly in love with each other?
You desperately rack your brain for a solution, considering everything from subtly indicating your Pride badge to flirting very loudly with other passengers.
But nope. That’s it. What’s done is done. You hang your head in shame.
Enter Kait, a bisexual teenager with a large Twitter following who has a history of skewering homophobes.
She was also responsible for spreading that viral “gay silence” meme, which, it turned out, originated during a hilariously awkward, decades-old Jodie Foster interview.
In a new viral post which has attracted more than 90,000 retweets and likes, the teen tweeted: “any gay couple holding hands in public who caught me staring at you: i’m gay and jealous not homophobic”.
People related, and related hard.
Retired nurse Maggie Jones wrote: “Same here but my problem is I look like the demographic that is homophobic 😕.”
Another user said: “I need this on a shirt.
“I stare because I love it and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy to see. I hope I never scared anyone.”
i try not to stare but i’m so proud. pic.twitter.com/hnh7xTZ1YE
— jennifer (@GniieBee) September 29, 2017
“I try not to stare but I’m so proud,” one person wrote, while another said: “I thought I was the only one omfg”.
