Brainwashed in the 80s

This weekend while talking about the 80s with my husband and the movies they are making about old 80s cartoons something occurred to me. In the silence of my room I was going over all we had talked about and things I had watched on the VH1 show "I love the 80s" and realized I was brainwashed in the 80s to love gay men. I have no prejudice in me when it comes to gay culture, never had. My dad always told me I was just liberal and would grow out of it. But I don't think I can (or even really want to) because I was brainwashed.

Think on some of the 80s icons and cartoons of the time. The Smurfs.....Smurfville was full of male smurfs and one female smurf. Did anyone see a problem with this? I didn't at the time, it was just a sweet little cartoon that entered my life in 1981 and even now I don't, but I see it more in an adult view now. Maybe the smurfs were gay. Then there was He-Man (and I was a huge fan of this cartoon as a kid, I have no idea why) and looking back on clips of that cartoon made me think of the Ambiguously Gay Duo from Saturday Night Live. Then you have George Michael.....The love of my teen years. How I missed the fact that he was gay I will never know, but I loved him and still kind of do when I look back at the 80s version of him. Wham was wonderful!!! Then there was Boy George that helped me to realize that drag queens weren't a problem at all and could be good performers. Then there was Twisted Sister. All of the hair bands with their long locks and make up.......I am sure there are others I could find. I loved the 80s for all that it gave to me and now I understand even more why I have a fascination and love for gay men and once again I can look back and thank the 80s.