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Some of my queer friends don’t show their partner affection in public bc they’re afraid of what people will think or do. I get it and I don’t wanna underestimate my privilege as a cis man but hear me out.
It was in the 9th grade when I first saw a dark-skinned, bearded man lean in to kiss the neck of this other man at some hood mall in Oklahoma.
I was trying on shoes with my best friend. Y’all. I put the left shoe on my right foot. I was SHOOK. I look away fast so my bff don’t see me being gay af.
But, it was the first time I had seen a man kiss another man. It was soft, caring, not possessive. It was slow, not rushed, like time had stopped. I was obviously into it lol.
Two years later. The wildest shit happens. Me and my best friend, the boy I was trying on shoes with, walked to this trashy ass McDonalds down the street from our high school during lunchtime.
It’s a short walk, but when we get there it’s a long ass line and the place is packed with rowdy ass kids from our high school.
I dont like crowds. I was a skinny, 16 year-old boy with bifocals and a chin I hadn’t grown into yet that basically made it easy for even the nicest person to clown tf outta me.
Here we are standing in line between 2 straight couples who arguing, probably over some dumb shit.
Here we are standing in line between 2 straight couples who arguing, probably over some dumb shit.
I’m anxious and ready to go. My bff leans over to me, I thought to tell me that he’s over this shit too, but instead, he kisses my neck.
It was the first time another boy had kissed me. It was soft, caring, not possessive. It was slow, not rushed, like time had stopped.
It was the first time another boy had kissed me. It was soft, caring, not possessive. It was slow, not rushed, like time had stopped.
That was 2001. A few years later, in 2006, he asked me to marry him. He passed away before I learned to be fully comfortable holding his hand in public. I was afraid of what people would think. Now, I’m afraid of what I loss. I regret it every day. Just wanna say this...
Love Black people out loud. It teaches the world that’s it’s OK.
