What Do You Want Me To Say?

I'v been hanging out with a classmate of mine - we make catty comments about the ineptitude of the "Instructional Technologies" professor. I think its actually a bad deal for her because she doesn't know all that much about computrons and she probably feels peer pressured to be as awesomely nerdy as me and constantly roll her eyes.

I had a couple classes with her last semester and I found her rather annoying - she talks a lot but for every eight or so loud, out of turn comments she makes in class, one is hilarious so I appreciate her.

We were standing by the vending machines during break and an older gentleman in our class came over and told her he recognized her from church. They chatted a bit; he was very friendly. As soon as he was out of earshot she told me she had no idea who he was.

"Does he go to your church?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I haven't been there in, like, four months."
"Oh, yeah?" I say, just sort of making conversation.
"Yeah, they got a new preacher and he is - just - gay. So I stopped going."
"Uh..."

There it is. What am I supposed to say to that? I just busy myself with looking uncomfortable.

"Yeah, he is so gay."
"Is there something wrong with being gay?" I ask, and it is all I can really muster.
"Well, he has a wife and kids."
"Maybe he isn't gay." I suggest.
"Well, he talks gay and I just couldn't sit through an hour of hearing him talk. And when you shake his hand, it's like he's shaking a dishrag."

I look uncomfortable.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I love gay people -" (there it is) "-I have tons of gay friends-" (yes!) "-they are a huge part of my life."

And the conversation sort of ended. I think it was clear to her how I felt, but I really didn't know what I was meant to do in that situation. Sometimes my big mouth fails me.