The politics of passing

SoVo.com – By Ryan Lee

Is there anything wrong with letting people think you?re straight?

Whether by the braided Mohawk atop his head, the soft features on his cleanshaven face or his tendency to wear form-fitting jeans and T-shirts, Avery Sparks believes it?s not too difficult for most people to look at him and tell he?s gay.

?I don?t think I hardly ever pass for straight,? said a laughing Sparks, a 21-year-old who lives in Southwest Atlanta.

?People give me looks all the time, and I know why they?re looking, but oh well.?

Michael Young, 20, is also used to occasional stares from neighbors and passers-by, but he is more confident in his ability to be ?unclockable? than his best friend Sparks.