I, as a 14-year-old boy, was sitting next to my mother as she drove us home from school in Valdosta, Georgia. We came to a red light and she stopped the car. I turned to her and said, “Mother, I’m a homosexual.”
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Would you want to have sex with Rock Hudson?”
“In a heartbeat.”
Several days later she came to me and asked if I’d be willing to talk to a priest that her friend, knowing about homosexuality, had recommended. This surprised me as Mother is an Atheist. We called him and Mother and I listened to him. He began talking about how it was a sin. Mother took the receiver out of my hand and placed it on the cradle, looked at me and said, “This man has nothing for you.”
A week later she brought me a book and said, “Read this, you’ll find beautiful things for you in it.” It was Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” which had lines like, “Oh boy of responding kisses…” and “We lay in the field at night…”
I loved my mother before her gift. After it I knew for sure that she loved me. This was in 1958.
I´m not...
Daniel,
Your story is a gift for so many scared and apprehensive 14-year-old boys and girls. I wish our world provided more stories like yours. Thank you.
Seth
This story is a special one, and your mother is a special woman.
Dear Daniel,
I too had a mother (and father) that were totally accepting. I realize that I am an incredibly lucky man. Thank you for sharing your story. I think I would have really enjoyed your mother. Brian
What a beautiful story.
I can’t believe how ahead of your time both you and your mother were. Great story.
wow, your mother is totally amazing! i’m glad she was so accepting; many people are not that lucky.
Oh Daniel, your mother is such a smart woman. If half the mothers in our world were as wise as yours, there would have more happiness.
1958? Wow! and very cool!
WOW … I grew up just NW of there (Colby, that is)
I grew up in Colby too!
Join the facebook group “Gay Folk from Colby, Kansas”, a moderated, safe and comfortable place to hang out, post discussions and meet others who grew up in, or still live in Colby. Members must be approved by moderators, so you won’t be visible to the public.
I did.
Daniel, I wonder if that was Monsignor (Father) Arpin that spoke to you or one of his priests in training. My mother said she suspected Monsignor Arpin was a homosexual (not a pedophile) so interesting if he was the one who spoke to you.
Oops, Monsignor Arpin was in Colby, KS, not Valdosta, GA. So disregard my earlier post.