Overview
The best way to make your gay friend feel special on their birthday is to show that you understand them. This means buying a gift that is highly relevant to them, which normally means something stereotypically gay. Whether it’s a rainbow-themed thing or something about willies, it should be something that makes him think ‘that’s me’.
And of course, part of this is showing him that you know what makes him feel offended, and how far you can push the joke. You might want to buy something really silly and offensive such as a willy-shaped bottle opener, or maybe something more visually subtle like a pair of socks. Whatever it is though, make sure you buy the right level of rudeness.
How do I know what sort of gift to get?
Just observe him for a bit; listen to what he says and how he interacts with people and pay attention to how he dresses. Does he wear rainbow-themed clothes? If so you could get him some socks or a hat or even an apron. And when he’s chatting with someone does he often make silly jokes about sex? If so you could get him something silly and childish like a bar of soap shaped like a willy.
And if he doesn’t seem to behave in any way that’s obviously gay? If this is the case then I’d suggest getting him something very subtle like some boring plain socks. Even if it’s not what he wants at least you’ll be able to observe his behaviour when you give them to him and see if it gives you any clues for next year.
What sort of gift should I get?
If you’ve observed your friend and have worked out roughly what sort of thing would be suitable the next thing to look at is whether it should be something that he wears or uses at home.
Based on these two factors we have four possible options:
• Something he can wear in public such as an item of clothing
• Something for use in public such as a mug
• Something he can wear at home such as slippers
• Something for use at home such as an apron or chopping board
It’s important to think about this because if you get this wrong the gift will either make him feel awkward or not be useful at all.
Summary
Now that we’ve worked out more about your friend and what sort of product would be suitable, we’re ready to start looking at our range!
