She didn’t picket when marriage equality passed,
only asked, How do you know who the bride is?
When SCOTUS ruled on workplace discrimination
she was silent on Facebook, but asked Ken,
Do people really get fired for being gay?
Homophobic Barbie will tell you
she’s had an owner or two who turned gay.
(Technically, it was her owner’s brothers.)
She knew one was gay the day he made Q-tips
into hair rollers. The other
instigated arguments between her and Ken.
Ken had never questioned why he wasn’t allowed
to drive the Barbie convertible across the living room.
Homophobic Barbie says,
Love the sinner, hate the sin.
She isn’t sure two dads or two moms
create the best environment for a child
but shows up for the wedding.
She isn’t missing an open bar
or the chance to do the Electric Slide
in heels with her sister Skipper.
After her third glass of champagne,
Homophobic Barbie explains to Skipper,
Remember, in the beginning,
Mattel created Barbie and Ken, not Ken and Ben.
–
Dustin Brookshire is the curator of the Wild & Precious Life Series, editor of Limp Wrist, and author of Love Most Of You Too (Harbor Editions, 2021). His latest project is a chapbook paying tribute to Denise Duhamel’s Kinky.