PDA and BBQ

My sexuality isn't something I make a big deal out of publicly. Sure, I'll post about something pro-Gay rights or make mention of it here or there. But for the most part, I try to just live my life as any other person.

Tonight, though, an issue came to a head which I had to raise with my boyfriend. See, there's this little BBQ place near here called Dan's BBQ. It's a fantastic little place with good BBQ and a DELICIOUS sauce that's always fast and friendly.

It's also very, very conservative.

I'm talking, pro-gun signs, pro-God signs, an absolute atmosphere of conservative (and traditional right-wing) expression. It's also the best BBQ place in town, so Chris and I have been eating from there for the last two years. We enjoy the food, the service, and the atmosphere is even a little charming in ways.

However, a single caveat was always present: We did not act like a couple in the restaurant. We dressed conservatively, we didn't have any physical contact, we wouldn't even call each "hon" or "sweety" or any of our stock pet-names. On an occasion I had, he quickly reminded me that I should be wary, as so not to offend the clientele or the actual staff.

Now, this staff had been known to speak their minds. Telling parents to quiet their children, asking people to leave for inappropriate behavior. We knew it was in our best interest, if we wished to continue our patronage of this establishment, to refrain from projecting any semblance of affection.

Over time, though, something grabbed me on the inside. It tugged at a nerve in my brain, but like a passing itch, I would either just idly touch on it or let it go. However, over the course of the last few months... it came to my attention that it in fact was not a passing itch. It was an issue to be thought out and discussed.

I realized that there was a succinct moral issue that I couldn't any longer abide, and that was acting like something I'm not for the sake of someone else' approval. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't make our with Chris in public. Sometimes we'll hold hands, but usually, it's just a common shoulder bump, maybe a quick peck. But we would always refer to ourselves with the aforementioned pet names, like most couples. We're not showy, but we ARE a couple, and after a while it all sank in that it was not worth acting like we weren't for decent Louisianan BBQ.

Chris, on the other hand, feels that it's not so much of an issue for him. He also thinks that, instead of patronizing the restaurant further but allowing ourselves to act naturally (thus risking the ire and subsequential retaliation from the establishment), we should just stop eating there. This is understandable and, while I don't necessarily agree, I don't hold it against him nor do I think a modicum less of him for it. I would rather we try and be proven right or wrong, one way or the other. I don't necessarily want to TEST it, but I do want to at least give it a chance.

It should also be noted that, while we do live in Lake Charles, Louisiana, this is honest-to-God the only establishment we've gone to where this has been a concern. Every other restaurant or store, it's not an issue. Just this one, considering it's atmosphere.

I mostly make this post because... I am legitimately curious what people will think. It's a curious situation that I'm not sure how to handle 100%.