My girlfriend and I wandered around the city on Easter Monday, hitting Queen Street window-shopping. Those damn wind tunnels further east eventually forced us underground. It quickly turned into a detour through the Sheridan hotel and down onto the path. We walked hand in hand, talking about politics and our upcoming vacation. Stares came from every direction and mostly from men – and I wasn’t at all surprised. There was a couple that had walked by us and the woman stared for a few seconds then whispered something to the man she was with. His conspicuous glance over was quite humorous. We dismissed them fairly quickly. It is only natural for others to be jealous of our relationship, naturally of course. As we neared the Eaton center a short guy looking kind of sketchy walked passed us, very slowly.

I knew where this was going.
As this man walked by, he took one look at my girlfriend and I, stared down at our linked hands, shook his head in disbelief and proceeded to walk ahead of us, occasionally turning his head, still shaking. My girlfriend and I looked at each other and just laughed.
"What is so fascinating about two women holding hands?" I asked. "People stare because they admire beautiful women," my girlfriend replied. I kissed her cheek and we proceeded onwards. Where was this guy, you ask? Of course still walking slowly ahead of us. He eventually turned around and began walking towards us.
"Can I ask you a question?" he asked. Before I could say no, he said, "I am not from around here, from Alberta eh, and I see all of these women holding hands here in Toronto. What is up with that? What is wrong with people like you?" I told him that nothing is wrong with "people" like us.

He shook his head again and walked away mumbling, "Well you are going to have to answer to god."

Still holding onto my girlfriend’s hand I picked up the pace and followed him till I could have easily knocked him flat to the ground. "Excuse me?" I said. He turned around and looked up at me and repeated himself. "You are going to have to answer to god, eh." I looked down at him, eyes glaring, fire steaming from my ears, my girlfriend’s grip on my hand desperately sending signals to my brain to not do or say anything stupid. I replied, "I do not answer to anyone but myself, thanks." He adjusted himself and words began to fly back and forth. The man from Alberta followed us into the Eaton center food court and I asked him politely to stop following us.

He said that he could do what ever he wanted, "it is a free country after all. You people want us to understand you, but you get so defensive" he answered back.

I thought about what he said for a moment, "you are right, it is a free country after all, eh. Have you ever thought that my defensiveness is retaliation to your verbal attack on me? Now we are walking away from you in hopes that you are smart guy and won’t be trailing along behind." The exchange of words grew louder and more people rubbernecked causing a backup of distraught yet intrigued shoppers.

My girlfriend intervened and I took a time out.

Frustrations flared as my last comment silenced bible thumper from Alberta.

"It makes me angry that people such as yourself use religion as a reason and excuse for your own insecurities. Always blame someone’s lifestyle and use religion to back it up." Thoughts and images raced through my brain. What does it feel like, not being able to think for yourself? Why do people waste their lives trying to make other peoples difficult? I had a flash. It was an image of television snow and an abrupt picture of a woman with her hands wrapped around a man’s neck. I lost myself in the idea; I love sinking away to fantasy sometimes. It helps to alleviate reality pressures.

The next thing I knew the conversation was over as quickly as my girlfriend veered us in a different direction. We headed above ground so that I could get some air and calm down. I know that I shouldn’t have let him get to me like that. But I cannot help but be so infuriated by some fuck head’s ignorance. So the question is this. How many times should we walk away before taking a stand?

Michelle Chee is a writer and artist who has just recently put out issue #2 of Zine~ This Side Up (with co-partner). She is also working on an anthology of her writing and photographs, as well as organizing a new zine to follow suite late fall. Michelle is a rant raving, crazed talking woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone. That’s it and that’s all.