There's an interesting article in today's Guardian newspaper about a party for older LGBTI people in Australia. I'm going to try to post a link, but that might not happen (not sure how to do it), but worth a read. It certainly resonated with me.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/10/ive-seen-it-all-lgbti-elders-come-b
can someone just let me know if that link works, even if you don't read the article?
Hitchhiking's more of a challenge on the road less travelled.
Confirmed, link works.
Tried to read the article, but too many images, so fuck it. Sorry. Got the gist though, and congrats for them, and happy they were able to celbrate, albeit probably a little later than they would have liked.
Link works. I am very superficial, so I could have done without the photos of the geriatrics, but the article is forceful.
In the early 1960’s at age 24, I was yet to come to terms with my sexuality, but somewhere deep within my psyche was the realization that if I stayed in the States, I would go through life just as many of the people in the video were forced to do. It was not a time when only sons could easily announce to their Irish/Italian Catholic parents that they preferred young men. Solution: join the Peace Corps and go to Africa. I loved my work and the appreciation I received from the Ethiopians, but my perceptions about sex were still in a muddle.
During the next 50 years I remained as much as possible outside the States. The people of the third world countries where I worked rarely gave a thought to the sexuality of foreigners unless there was something obvious to observe. So I remained “un-obvious” and have always got along quite well with the host country nationals.
I had a high school classmate who came out to family and colleagues back in the 60’s, and then spent the rest of his life justifying his orientation. I was not strong enough for that and until this day I still do not see how it would make my family any happier to know that I am gay.
I empathize with the people in the video. Many of them had the courage to confront society. Not something I could have done.
a447 (October 10th, 2017), christianpfc (October 24th, 2017), joe552 (October 12th, 2017), Khor tose (October 11th, 2017)
Bob, that's a really powerful post - thank you. I remember hearing about the Peace Corps when I was younger, and thought it would be a great way to escape Catholic Ireland of the 70s/80s. When I was 22, I spent 6 months in Lebanon with the Irish Army as part of the UN force there. One night in a hotel in Israel, while on a weekend off, I got talking to a UN civilian worker, and thought "that's what I want to do". It was partly a desire to make a difference in the world. But it was also a way of escaping Ireland. Alas, in those pre-internet days, I couldn't figure out how to do it, so it never happened. Another life not lived.
Hitchhiking's more of a challenge on the road less travelled.
christianpfc (October 24th, 2017)
U guys R weak...U ONLY have ONE life to live...so stoooopid to have wasted it on social norms...
Says an Accountant
Lest anyone think my self-imposed exile was in any way a deprivation, I should say that I have always been comfortable psychologically while living abroad. No need to maintain the pretenses that would have been required of me in the US. And, since I look and sound like the run of the mill straight American, I was never reluctant to confirm my heritage. Until 20 January 2017. But that’s WAY off topic.
accountant?!
Isn't that what you're meant to be?
Isn't latinpox an auditor - travelling the world, shagging ponies, all on the company dime? (as our Murican friends might say)
Hitchhiking's more of a challenge on the road less travelled.
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