getting gay with gays

I went to the New Gay Valentine/Anti-Valentine's party last night. For those of you who don't know, the New Gay is a local blog that's a regular fixture in my morning internet rounds. We've had a rocky go of it, the New Gay and I. We haven't necessarily agreed on the nuances of certain issues facing the young, hip and gay. And I, being the general loud-mouth that I am, have not remained silent when affronted by the New Gay. Oh no, heavens no.

I've been pretty regular commenter over there from the get-go. I'm actually a voracious internet commenter in general, and have long shed any previous embarrassment that I may have felt over this activity. So the bon-mots flowed.

Until one day, I read this post. See, I'd been layed up with a cold for two days, getting out of bed only occasionally to check in on the Olsen twins on Perez Hilton. Hung over from the previous night's Nyquil, but hopped up on the day's Dayquil, I was feeling generally delirious and sorry for myself. And after a couple of hours of daytime TV, (It seems like they purposely air the most shrill programming possible before noon, when we're least equipped to deal with the likes of Rachael Ray and Elizabeth Hasselback), I was in no mood for bullshit. But bullshit is exactly what I saw in the post. So, never one to be shy, I sent the New Gay an email, ineloquently expressing my feelings and uttering futile threats of depriving them of my readership (I'll cut you off so fast it'll make your head spin buster! You think I won't?).

Well the response was quick and varied. I'm tempted to reproduce the actual emails here, but some silly sense of ethical obligation prevents me from doing so. Zack, who's posts were generally my favourites, responded first. In summary, he said that maybe I should post the email to the comments, or even write a response for submission. Michael popped up next, which actually surprised me a little. I would have expected him to be first because from previous comment section flares-ups, it had become clear that Michael will pretty willingly take on the role of diplomat, offering offended parties a lot of maybes, perhaps', I-think-what-she-means-is', and his email reinforced that.

But then Ben got to me. See, I had mistakenly thought that Ben had written the bit that I found so irksome (he hadn't) and had addressed him directly in my message. I know I called him lame, and maybe counter-revolutionary, and possibly spawn of Satan himself. Consequently his email was lacking Michael's diplomatic tone. He called me vitriolic, and bitchy and sad. And stupid too! Because if I wasn't so stupid I would have noticed that he hadn't written it at all, and wouldn't have just "made an ass of myself".

Perhaps I'd flown off the handle, but I hardly think I'd made an ass of myself, especially by internet standards.

So when I heard they were throwing a party, I was wary. Matt suggested that it might be an elaborate rouse to smoke me out with the promise of booze and boys and once they got their hands on me they would exact their revenge.

That didn't happen. I met the New Gays, all four of 'em. Amy and I talked Project Runway. Zack even hugged me (cute!) . Michael tried to show me the guy who HAD written the piece, but I skirted that one. Ben and I shook hands and left it at that. They all seemed very nice and were all much more attractive than bloggers should be.

And you know what? as I wrote this, Ben extended the olive branch that is the Facebook friends request. A more meaningful gesture in this day and age I can't imagine. I accepted of course.

So what do you say New Gay? Friends?