Yesterday, Leonardo and I went to a local establishment with a Nigerian friend.
As we waited to be served, we played with Leonardo, tickling and play bites and such and #LeonardoDavis squealed and giggled.

My Nigerian friend “O” is a six foot tall black man with very traditional concepts of marriage and sexuality.
As O is playing with Leonardo, one of the other patrons “New guy” looks at me and says “your daughter is so cute”. Me “That’s my son. He is a boy”
“Oh, your son?” *Making hand gestures indicating O and I.
Me: “Nah, he is a friend of our family and my wife is at home. I am giving her a chance to relax.” “Oh, that’s really nice.”

So, I am puzzled, is it because Leo is pretty light skinned and two black guys with an almost white baby must have adopted? Is it still not normal to see dads out with their babies sans mom? Was it our interactions, tickling and playing that made it easier to assume that Leo was a girl or that O and I were gay?

I am pretty sure O did not even notice what was said and I just kept moving on, but I am sure this interaction would not happen in either of our home countries. No judgement but our countries in my understanding are not there [yet?].

Ancilleno Davis, PhD. Candidate
Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology- Miami University, Oxford Ohio