André, Age 4, Baton Rouge, La. (1972)
From The Huffington Post Gay Voices:
The picture of André with the little pink purse is adorable. André's story is bittersweet. He found the picture above as he was looking through an old photo album and showed it to his mother. His mother commented that his sister was really cute at that age. André told his mom that it was his picture rather than his sister's, and she said nothing and turned the page. Sadly, André's parents never came to understand what it meant for him to be gay.
I laughed out loud when I came to this part of André's story:
In my 12 years of Catholic schooling, just about every report card included the comment, "André is a sensitive boy." That was Catholic school code for "gay as a daisy."André goes on to say:
It was tough growing up "sensitive," and the journey was never easy. It was worth it, though. I can now say I love who I am, and I love the life I've built for myself.Read the entire story. It's not long, and you won't be sorry. Be sure to look at the pictures of other children in the slide show at the link. A few are hilarious. If being gay is a choice, and sensible people know it is not, then the choice is made early on.
I love that I've learned to honor and protect that sensitive, little boy with the pink Easter purse and black galoshes.
Thanks to Roger for the link.
The story is sensitive and strongly honest. Glad I read it. Thanks, Mimi.
ReplyDeleteMy "pink purse" was a Barbie doll that came in a box of toys my father won in a raffle and tried, very unsuccessfully, to get me to give away.
ReplyDeleteThat segment of the story will probably set every one of us to laughing.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I've submitted my story to "Born This Way" too (about 6 weeks ago), but they haven't published it yet. :-/ [Needless to say, I'll let y'all know if they do!]
ReplyDeleteHappy Coming Out Day everybody...
I'm really irritated by André's mum turning the page without saying anything. And does the child in the photo look like a little girl? No, so why make a stupid idiot mistake about which of your children it is?
ReplyDeleteMark, I had a Barbie, but my Barbie was evil and incited the other toys to do wicked things too. Brave Sydney the stuffed orange cat was always having to do battle with her to thwart her Machiavellian plans. What was yours like? Was she of good character?
ReplyDeleteJCF, do let us know if your story is published.
ReplyDeleteCathy, unless André's mom had poor eyesight, I find it strange that she thought the picture was of the sister.
I plan to visit the blog, 'Born This Way', set up by Paul V. to read more of the stories.
Mine came with a wedding gown. Despite my father's worries, she was generally an ass-kicking vampire of the Hammer Horror sort, a valkyrie in lace, and we both dumped that stupid veil as soon as the package was opened.
ReplyDeleteShe was, largely, a benevolent queen over Rocky Raccoon, the Panda twins, and, later, Steve Austin and G. I. Joe, her consorts. The main forces of evil had less material form, the miasmatic darkness of That-Which-Dwells-in-the-Closet-Corners and He-Who-Lurks-Under-The-Bed, and, of course, The Gibbering Horror Beyond the Closed Curtains. Later personifications of evil - Darth Vader and Ming the Merciless, for example - were mere emissaries of the evil she and I had battled for years.
Mark, that is wonderful! You were an imaginative, as well as a 'sensitive' child.
ReplyDeleteWell, as you already know Mimi, they DID publish it! :-)
ReplyDeleteJCF, yes, and I will give your story a link. I thought I'd wait a day or so after the link at OCICBW.
ReplyDelete