People will usually readily volunteer detailed information about the former and rarely a hint of the latter. Why is that? Seems we are more liberated sexually than financially and I can’t seem to figure out why. Most people have sex. Most people make an income. Why the secrecy about the latter?
For the record: I’m straight and non of your damn business how much I make!
Because, If you reveal your sexual orientation, then people can come and ask you for sex. Most people don’t mind that.
If you reveal your income, then people know they can ask you for X amount of money (based on your income). Most people do not like to be asked for money. Plus it’s ingrained in you at most jobs to not say how much you make, because it could piss off the guy that works harder than you and gets paid less. Or you might be that guy, in which case you probably don’t want to know that.
FTR: I’m straight and I make more money than you think I do.
1.) Straight
2.) None of yer bizness
3.) Hi Opal!!
When a person reveals their sexual preferences they are usually not divulging information they have a problem with sharing, public information. To ask a person about their money is considered as rude as asking for a photo of them and their SO nude, private information.
(1) Bi
(2) NOYB!
Personally, I believe it’s all about social standing. It’s because sexual preference, activity, tendencies, etc… are usually asked out of interest and possibly for “hopeful times”. In GENERAL, even the people who have differing ideas don’t give a rat stink. In other words, straight people will look at a bi or gay person and for the most part say, “I could never do that” or at worst “That’s sick”, but can carry on as usual. You can spend your evenings wearing a horse collar, shackled to a ceiling, and a tractor battery with jumper cables clipped to your nipples while a buffet is served off your body yet still be considered a nice person and good friend. Money on the other hand in GENERAL, is a basis of judgement. If you are loaded, you are a snob and if you are poor, you are a slob, both feeling a bit of contempt for the other, while having to fight very long and very hard to prove otherwise, and still be held in reservation and never fully trusted. Rich gravitate to associating with the rich and vice versa. It’s always been relatively acceptable to be a pervert (in the legal meaning of the word), but not to be from “the other side of the tracks”, so most people don’t tell as they don’t want to be wrongly judged based on the the number of zero’s or all zero’s in their paycheck. Just my opinion on the subject:)
Oh man, now everyone knows my secret. Sheesh, gotta go find a new fetish now.
Bi and jobless (but in school, so that’s my excuse for now).
I most likely wouldn’t post how much I made just b/c who cares?
who cares about your sexual orientation?
Go up to a guy on the street and ask him how much money he makes. The response will most likely be either an odd look or a comment like “none of your business” or “enough to get by”.
Go up to the same guy on the street and ask him his sexual preference. The response will most likely be a lot ruder.
1.) Gay.
2.) Not giving a figure, but it’s not nearly enough. In fact, I’m piss poor and need to find a better job.
Which brings me onto my next point. I don’t know whether or not anyone else has come across this, but I often find that it’s assumed gay people have more money than straight people. Not that this is necessarily true (I’m living proof of that), but I’ve found from experience that many people think we’re loaded.
Why is that? I’m guessing that the general assumption is that, because the majority of gay couples don’t have kids to feed and clothe, they have sackloads of spare cash left over to spend as they please. Or is it assumed that gay people get the highest-paid jobs? Anyone else have any thoughts on this?
Tri.
About $6800 a year.
My sexual preference isn’t relevant unless I want to sleep with you.
Not that much.
Robin
As long as it’s asked in a curious manner, rather than a nosy one.
And, since you DID ask curiously, QuickSilver (even though you, and the rest of the TM could care less 
)
Straight
$57,460/yr. Just got a raise, yippee!
I would find either question a little odd unless there’s a specific reason for asking it. I don’t volunteer information about my orientation or my income. My orientation is only relevant if I want to sleep with someone, and it’s assumed I have an income & can pay for what I have. Both are only small parts of who I am.
(Straight, and quite well, thank you.)
I have heard numbers (sorry, no cite) indicating that as a demographic group, gay people have more disposable income. I presume, (if that’s true,) it’s because they don’t typically have children.
What TruePisces said. In general, when in a discussion a the topic money comes up, people ususally don’t really mind telling how much they make. I can easily envision the following conversation as being normal.
He (upon opening an evelope): Jeez, another bill, as if I have money to spare!
She: I don’t understand, I always thought you had plenty of cash.
He: Not nearly enough as I’d wanted.
She: Really, how come? How much are you making then?
However, the following situation might be view as being awkward:
He (upon tying his shoe laces): Time for a nice run around the park.
She: You said it. By the way, how much do you earn?
But this is the same thing as sexual preference, I would think. When someone comes up to me and asks me out of the blue if I’m gay or straight, I don’t think I would answer, even though I’m usually not that secretive about it. Same thing as money.
As for your questions:
To kirk280980:
I think the notion people have from gay people’s salary is mainly influenced by television and film. Because nowadays these media need to be politically correct, they usually depict gay people in a more positive light. That meaning, well-off job, quite attractive overall and that sort of stuff.
Also, according to Holywood, there are only two types of jobs: you either are a stockbroker, business man or rocket scientist, meaning that you are rich, or you are a construction worker, plumber or whatnot meaning that you aren’t that well-off. Then, when they need a gay person in a film, which job would fit better with a gay stereotype? Hardly the construction worker I would think. Thus, a gay person will always find himself in the upper middle class. I just wished it is like that in real life…
I don’t know, I have no trouble telling people my income, even if I know they’ll ask me for money (like my Dear Auntie). I’ll just tell them “no”.
However, I think some of my acquaintances have been offended by this. I don’t know why.
(1) Gay
(2) Enough to survive, but not enough to thrive
Gay folks have student loans, car and house payments, and far too many have exhorbitant medical bills (Not me, thank God–still negative after all these years!) Just because most, but not all, of us don’t have kids doesn’t mean we don’t have financial pressures, too.
Re KIRK280980’s comments, among my friends are two gay (male) couples, both in their 30’s. One couple is from NY, the other from California. Not suggesting they’re typical of most gay male couples, but both couples have great apartments, expensive clothes, they vacation frequently to exotic places, and seem to have tons of disposable cash. I always figured, like KIRK says straights often assume, that it was because they don’t have kids who drain their incomes.