Are Harness Boots Gay?

Here we go again, google searches of the most inane type:

These questions keep showing up regularly, and Google directs them to this blog and my website.

What the person from Fontana, California, probably intended was to inquire about the perception of others his age was about wearing harness boots.  What I learned from this blog post (link) is that the term "that's gay" is used by kids these days to mean "that's lame."  And not lame as in crippled, but as in "dumb" or "stupid."  And not dumb as in unable to speak, either.

Read this post for a humorous explanation of the evolution of American English to get a glimpse of how calling something "gay" is meant as a pejorative -- or abhorative -- statement, but not having to do directly with the sexual orientation of the person doing something -- like wearing harness boots. That post also explains how, in the mind of kids today, that "gay = lame" in their use of the language.

Nonetheless, it is not dumb, stupid, lame, or "gay" to wear harness boots.  A younger guy who enters a question into a search engine, "are harness boots gay?" is perhaps interested in the style of the boots, but afraid what others may think.  Lots of research continues to show that young people are extremely concerned about perceptions of others, as they have not matured enough to be their own person, and have not yet learned to dismiss and not worry about other people's perceptions.

So all I can say is, when you grow up and become a man, you may choose to wear harness boots because you like how they look and how they feel on your feet, and you have matured enough to care less about your peer's opinions.

'nuf said.

Life is short:  be patient with the young, for they known not what they say.