Re: [Callers] Gender Swapping - When?

Hmmmm. It is not a joke to laugh at, as you say. I have to tell you as a gay man dancing in recently at a Sacramento, California contra, the caller on mike told the whole hall that my male partner and I didn't have to dance together because there were plenty of women sitting on the side. At Glen Echo this summer I asked 10 men to dance and was refused by 9 of them.  All of the previous 9 were to be seen in the line dancing immediately after I asked. Most callers say "you can dance with who ever you want to", ie same sex couples, yet in practice, homophobia exists and many male dancers are freaked out by seeing me come to them for a swing, experienced or not.  Don't say that to the audience if your crowd is homophobic.  It is very hypocritical and just sets up your hall for an awkward moment. (This could spin of into gender balance discussion at camps.) Our queer contra in the San Francisco Bay Area had over 80 dancers last night.  The previous night the BACDS dance held it's last and final dance at the same hall because they don't get enough dancers to pay the rent...I think that is very telling. Martha wrote , that it's just done for fun and is okay. Forewarned is forearmed. New dancers might think we're strange, but they won't have to panic and think they've done something wrong. Maybe they'll even laugh as they get the joke.