A test of one's sexual tolerance, for all
Poet, I'm posting this to you, as we had a go-around on sexuality. This is not meant to offend, although anyone looking for offense can probably find it. It is meant to provoke -- which, BTW, is not a bad thing, as in provocative thoughts, movies, or books. I have written two hypothetical letters from a son to his mom. They are identical, except in one respect. I would ask anyone who reads these to imagine their response as a mom or a dad -- to the first, and then the second. Your feelings about them, honestly. Are they the same or different? If you ask me what my point is, it is simply to provide an exercise for exploring one's tolerance for sexual preferences.
Try it, and see what you think. (I apologize if these don't format too well)
JC
Letter One
Mom, I have something important to tell you, and I’ve chosen to do it through this letter.
It’s about myself, who I really am, and what I really am, as a person. It may be
something you’d rather not hear, and it may disappoint you in some ways. But you have
to know. So does Dad. Mom ... this is about my sexuality. I am different. I am gay. I
am a homosexual. I tell you this not with embarrassment or shame, but with celebration.
This is not some passing thing. It is not something that is ever going to change. It’s been
deep inside me for as long as I can remember. There were times when I tried to deny it
to myself, but that would be denying who I am. As you probably guessed, while I was at
college I had some sexual encounters with women. But, Mom, it only told me one thing
-- that is not who I am. I adore many women, but not as sexual partners. I am gay. I am
a homosexual. I can’t change that, and I wouldn’t want to. I like who I am, and I’m
proud of who I am. I’m not going to conceal this, Mom ... I want everyone to know that I
am a homosexual. I want people to know that being gay is a very important part of my
life, something that defines who I am as a person. I have a partner, and I want people to
know who he is. I love you and Dad with all my heart and I always will. But you have to
know who your son is. I don’t ask you to celebrate my sexuality with me. I can only ask
you to accept me for who I am, and to find in your hearts joy in knowing that I am happy
being the person I was meant to be.
Letter Two
Mom, I have something important to tell you, and I’ve chosen to do it through this letter.
It’s about myself, who I really am, and what I really am, as a person. It may be
something you’d rather not hear, and it may disappoint you in some ways. But you have
to know. So does Dad. Mom ... this is about my sexuality. I’m different. I am a solo-sex
person. I am a masturbator. I tell you this not with embarrassment or shame, but with
celebration. This is not some passing thing. It is not something that is ever going to
change. It’s been deep inside me for as long as I can remember. There were times when I
tried to deny it to myself, but this would be denying who I am. As you probably guessed,
while I was at college I had some sexual encounters with women, and even with other
men. But, Mom, it only told me one thing -- that is not who I am. I adore people, women
and men, but not as sexual partners. I am a solo-sex person. I am a masturbator. I can’t
change that, and I wouldn’t want to. I like who I am, and I’m proud of who I am. I’m
not going to conceal this, Mom ... I want everyone to know that I am a solo-sex person. I
want people to know that masturbating is a very important part of my life, something that
defines who I am as a person. I don’t want or intend to have sex with a partner, male or
female, I only want self-sex, and I want people to know that. I love you and Dad with all
my heart and I always will. But you have to know who your son is. I don’t ask you to
celebrate my sexuality with me. I can only ask you to accept me for who I am, and to find
in your hearts joy that I am happy being the person I was meant to be. |
