Catholic, Gay, and Feeling Fine, Thanks
Grave harm has been wrought…by teaching that a man must find the will of God, never his own, in all things. Where we are within reality and there are ten reality choices, it is man’s choice that is absolute, that makes the choice right. There is then no need to be on the perpetual alert…
It’s not the despair…I can take the despair. It’s the hope I can’t stand.1 Seems like nearly everybody knows about my SSA these days. My landlord knows, for goodness’ sake. My landlord, H., also happens to be a coworker and an old friend, and someone who’s been through a lot himself — even before I…
I: ENOUGH PEANUTS [Nota bene: This story is in four parts, and parts I-III are pretty grim, but there's a happy ending. Also, there is a lot of smoking and no small amount of tears.] ★ I’m making Friday night plans with my brother Caleb. He’s saying we could stay in and watch a movie,…
“Death is the mother of beauty.” Dear Wallace Stevens, you brilliant, urbane, doddering old insurance-salesman of a poet: no it isn’t. Yesterday being All Souls’ day, I spent some time thinking about death. I wasn’t depressed. I felt (and feel) great, actually. Thinking of death is what you’re supposed to do on that day and…
It’s almost embarrassing to say it, because I had forgotten that I used to feel this way, but: I used to blame myself for having SSA. I thought, if only I’d hung out more with other guys and learned to be like them; if only I hadn’t quit the street hockey team, and soccer, and…
A reader recently asked what I think of reparative therapy — therapy aimed specifically at getting the gay out, so to speak. I’m not too sure. I’m not a fan of the name, first of all. All therapy is reparative therapy, ‘cuz we’re all broken,1 so calling this kind reparative therapy is a little like…
