In “Dear Straight People” Denice is talking about her experiences with straight people and the way they make her feel. She opens with saying how straight people being uncomfortable with her make her uncomfortable.That opening will grab the attention of the reader or listener and give an idea of what the poem is going to be about.Her poem is in an informative tone like when she says”Dear Straight People,/You’re the reason we stay in the closet,/you’re the reason we even have a closet.”(Froham 7-9)It explains that straight people are the reason that people don’t come out. hat they could be scared of how people would treat them or look at them.

I thought that Denice made some good points about how straight people like to draw attention to gay people rather it be the way they look or someone just holding hands with there significant other.I think that STraight people draw attention to it because it used to be seen as different or unordinary and there is still a lot of people that haven’t fully adjusted to the idea of it being more common and normal.And I think its unfair that someone that isn’t straight feels like they have to see if anyone is looking before they kiss there significant other when straight people don’t even think about it.I hope that one day people will be excepting enough and people will feel safe enough to love whoever they want without the fear of judgement.-Zoie Maine

      My interpretation is that she is trying to show how gay people feel being treated as one group by making straight people feel the same way at the beginning. We do regularly make a lot of generalizations about how gay people act, usually they’re very flamboyant or have a certain haircut. People also tend to draw attention to homosexuals, whether it be negative or positive, which can be alienating and uncomfortable, “Dear Hip-Hop,
Why are you fascinated with discovering gay rappers? Gay people rap. Just like gay people ride bikes and eat tofu (Froham, Line 15-17).  She also begins with dear straight people as it captures our attention and this allows her to talk about the problems gay people face to people who most likely don’t know or haven’t experienced them.

      When I began to read it, I did actually feel a bit awkward as I am straight and I felt like I was being called out for something I hadn’t done. But as I began to continued to read it I began to realize that our society does make a lot of generalizations about gay people too. Also gay people still aren’t the norm in our society. Like we’ll make a big deal about a gay couple being featured in certain media, but really we shouldn’t be doing that. By drawing attention to it, we’re acting like it’s an exception instead of the norm. Similarly gay people are still subject to hate crimes, people still treat them like dirt. I remember that when two women kissed at the Macy’s Day thanksgiving parade this year, there was major outcry about it. Many people said it traumatized their kids, which is an absolute lie. People act like homosexuality is some weird concept when it’s really just another form of love. Personally I hope one day gay people do become a norm, but that probably won’t be happening for a while. -Jacob DeHart

In this Poem, Denice Froham is talking to all the straight people in her life and I guess the ones that will ever meet her. She is asking them why she makes them uncomfortable when she walks in a room holding her girlfriends hand. She is wondering why she gets strange looks when ever she does anything. Denice is trying to say for straight people and everyone for that matter to treat everyone fairly and judge people by whats on the inside.

For me personally, I can not relate to what she is saying as I am straight; however, I do see where Denice is coming from. I imagine it would feel pretty bad to always be stared at and judged for just being who you are, and I can only give her respect for writing about something she believed in. – Gabriel Gil, Period 3

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Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton