I remember writing this comic and thinking about Petey a little more.

I always thought that getting hit on by someone of the same sex as you was very flattering. When you think about it, it means you’re hot beyond the boundaries of gender, that you have a universality which is undeniable to either chromosome combination. To accept that and see it as a compliment takes an important amount of self-confidence, if you ask me, both in one’s sexuality and overall being. Why do some people react with such hostility when being accosted by someone of the same sex? Why should the response be any different then when you get hit on by someone of the opposite sex and you’re just not interested? When you think about it, the rejection is much simpler and easier in this case, because all you have to say is “Sorry, I’m not into men/women.” Otherwise you know how it goes: you start fiddling in your mind for some lame excuse, which will, despite your best efforts, more often than not, come off real badly and will end up just making everyone feel bad. In this case, it’s cut-and-dry, attached to reason more than sentiment, so there’s really nothing to get offended by.

When I wrote this comic, I was surprised that I had Petey react the way he did. Was it because it was the comedy thing to do? Probably, because I really hadn’t started giving any real thought to the gags yet and this just seemed like the easiest route to get a laugh. But nonetheless a seed was indeed planted: the seed of Petey’s overwhelming social discomfort and anxiety, of trying to be mainstream and like eveyone else. Who knows, maybe Petey here was indeed letting his inner woman cry out for attention and was repressing a true part of himself in an attempt to try and not alienate himself more than he already felt he was. But at this stage, it would be giving me too much credit.