Ok so yesterday I was in Flashback which I still consider to be the greatest of all Kensington Vintage clothing stores (strong challenge from vintage outlet or whatever it is called and also a couple of more expensive stores on augusta have some kick ass stuff). Anyway Roger was letting me go through the bags of shirts that just came in and this other dude was going through the new jeans at the same time and I think he was hitting on me.

I am actually pro gay guys hitting on Luke because I chalk it up to me being super attractive and as such a compliment (and not to me seeming like the kind of guy who would want to make out with gay dudes) but the problem was that this guy might have been gay or he could have just been super friendly which in itself is a problem because I don't want to be the kind of person who comes across as "mean to friendly people" but I don't want to be the kind of person who comes across as "wants to make out with another dude" either.

This whole thing is probably my fault because I asked him if he could keep an eye out for "faded 517s with a substantial flare" which in retrospect doesn't sound like the straightest thing you could say to another dude but also it was obvious that we were both frequent thrift store shoppers by the semi-preferential status Roger had bequeathed(?) us with (as in letting us pre-check the new stuff before it hits the shelves) so I don't think my specific jeans request was that unreasonable/homo-suspicious and there was no point in both of us looking through 8000 pairs of jeans.
Also remember this wasn't a member of the gay uniformy church street gay community but rather looked just like a regular thrift store guy so there was no reason for me to suspect that my asking him to keep an eye out for the kind of jeans I wanted would be viewed as some kind of invitation.

Anyway the guy agreed to help me out and then asked what size and I was like "between 32 and 34 depending on the year" and he was like "no way you are way thinner than a 32" and I was like "Oh thanks, I have been doing a lot of swiss ball work lately but I am looking for kind of a loose fit for the winter"

At this point I was sort of suspicious that this guy might be gay but that is not a big deal and regardless of his sexual orientation he was a really friendly guy and knew a lot about vintage clothing. I think things started to go sideways when he complimented me on the jeans I was currently wearing and then touched my leg indicating where he preferred the fading to be located. Generally I don't think that most straight dudes go out of their way to touch other dudes legs but this wasn't really concrete evidence that he was gay either so I just let it go and went about my shopping.
Anyway the jury is still out on this guy and I have definitely been mistaken before about guys who were just really friendly but all the same when he asked as I was leaving if I wanted to hang out sometime I said no.

I am not sure at this point if it is proper etiquette to say "no I am really busy" like I said or "no I am actually not gay".
I mean this guy didn't tell me that he is gay so it would seem presumptuous of me to suggest that he is a gay man trying to ask me on a date (likely) instead of a straight guy who just wanted to go for a beer or something (very unlikely) but from another perspective the way I handled it means that this guy might think that I AM gay and that I brushed him off. Either way I am potentially offending this guy.

This has very strong parallels to when guys are constantly asking girls out "as friends".

Guy: So I was thinking we could go out sometime at this point I am clearly asking you on a date
Girl: I have a boyfriend I am not interested in going on a date with you

Guy: I meant go out as friends ok so that didn't go, lets try the side-door "friends' play
Girl: I just met you great one of these guys
Guy: I meant go out so that we could establish a friendship good point, lets give it another shot though

And it goes on like this until the girl looks mean and unfriendly for turning down a clear date request that she doesn't want to go on.

That is getting off topic but I think that this guy possibly hitting on me has helped me be more sympathetic to cute girls.

All and all I think this post is more homophobic than usual but somehow less homophobic than my pride-week homophobiganza.
I again apologize to anyone who is remotely offended.