 I found myself disgusted with this addition of body odor; I could not imagine being attracted to someone who does not care about their appearance or body odor. Actually, from past experience, I ended a relationship with a male who was constantly sweating; that was not attractive at all. After carefully examining my reaction to this scenario, I found myself being more disgusted with the female rather than with the male. I believe I had this reaction because of the nurturing factor in my life. I was taught that women should wear clothes that fit them properly and that they should essentially “take care of” their partner. Even though I may have been raised this way and it still influences by biases at times, I tend to view my relationship with my fiance as “teamwork,” rather than one partner taking care of the other.
	My immediate reaction to this case was anger. This case provoked anger because of personal experience. After I graduated from college, I moved out of my parents’ house and had a lot of trouble finding a job; I either had too much or too little experience in the work force. I also have an anxiety disorder (manageable at this point in my life), and was limited to what jobs I could handle with my disorder. I had to eventually apply for government assistance because of this. The whole time that I was receiving government assistance, my parents made rude comments about the subject to me. It was embarrassing for me and I did not like the judgmental view of the businessman, who reminded me of my parents and their critical views. I also had a problem with the view of the businessman because he essentially claims that people should be animals - that the “weak” should not survive and should be “allowed,” if you will, to die. There is no compassion in his view and strangely reminds me of animalistic behavior. Human beings are not animals and we should not treat each other as such.
	After reviewing this case, I felt complete sympathy and empathy for the couple. I understand how hard a relationship can be to maintain, and sometimes, it is difficult to express one’s feelings with a significant other. Also, situations can be misconstrued at times, so it is always better to try to explain yourself as clearly as possible and to keep communication open and honest. The couple’s problems remind me of the problems a past girlfriend and I had. After examining my reaction, I realize I might be more sympathetic to the couple because I have been practically in the same situation. Obviously, I have no ill feelings toward this couple because they are lesbians; rather, I understand how difficult it is to maintain a lesbian relationship. Others can be judgmental if lesbians or gays show affection to one another in public; it is irritating. I am a firm believer in sexual orientation rights and I hope that it gets easier in time to behave like any other “normal” couple.
