i met someone yesterday who was 47 years old, with a wife and two children and a well paid, professional position in a pharmaceutical company here in paris. this man was handsome, funny, well travelled, and seemed to have a perfect life. except that of all the people in his family, his workplace, and all of his close friends, not a single one of them knew that he was gay.
and it made me reflect upon my own life. i came out in my late teens, and for the last decade, i have never hidden my homosexuality from anyone. i have never, ever, felt that i were less than anyone else, i have never, ever, felt that any love that i felt for someone were not 100% valid. i have never questioned it. it would never even have occurred to me to question it. i have always felt like a complete person, and have always felt comfortable pursuing my dreams in life - whatever they may be - with a rock-hard sense of self. i cannot remember having a conversation with any family member or friend in the last decade in which anything gay was treated differently to what it would have been had it been straight. it's a complete non-issue, none of us even thinks about it any more - why the hell am i even wasting time writing about it?!
because it's not like that for everyone. and when i get reminded of those people out there who are hiding, or ashamed, or are getting discriminated against, i realise how lucky i am to be living exactly the life i want to live without ever even thinking twice about it. i am a lucky man. a lucky gay man! and though part of that is having grown up in a wonderful open city like melbourne, and a lot of it is due to my wonderful friends who support me in whatever i do in life, the basis of any gay person's happiness - and i cannot understate how important this is - is how their family accepts them. and that's where i struck gold, because my sister, and my mum, and my dad, have always, always been unquestioning and unwavering in their love for me. always.
thank you all for loving me for who i am. thank you!
4 comments:
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz lucky men ! Xxx
Ondro,
you did not mention that my co-worker sitting next to me for decades is Mr RAINBOW! That is a true support.
It is lovely and an honour to have you as my son.
Love mum
You must be grateful to the men of Stonewall - those older than me - who made your lifestyle possible. But even their changes did not filter down to smaller places until the 1990s. A 47 year old was brought up in the old world...you are fortunate to have grown up in this one.
Stephen
yes i am very fortunate. i never forget it...
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