I am appalled when I think back at how I used to see myself as a youth and young man, growing up during a period when gay relationships were a criminal offence here in the UK.
A civilized society should be above such bigotry and prejudice, surely? Yet even in the so-called ‘liberal’ West young gay people are still growing up and having to fight their corner in gay-unfriendly home and ‘educational’ environments. As for those societies in the world where various socio-cultural-religious antagonism towards gay people persists, they are a disgrace to those same socio-cultural-religious origins.
History belongs to the past; we all need to learn from its lessons, move on, and make a better future for everyone. Now, that’s progress.
There is nothing unnatural about being gay, of course, any more than there is (or ever was) anything extraordinarily ‘liberal’ about either being gay or feeling positively disposed towards gay people; we are all born with a sexual identity which is as natural as breathing.
I, LEGEND or G-A-Y, CENTRE STAGE
G-A-Y is sinful, I was taught
during formative years,
inner self preparing me to out
a bully ethic to its peers
I used to hate my reflection,
for exposing all I’d see,
engaging me in conversation
about life and sexuality
I’d confess shame and guilt,
couldn’t help how I feel,
world shovelling me its dirt
for being me, getting real
No need, said my reflection,
you’re as good as them;
bigots posing every objection
to being gay, their problem
I came to love my reflection,
for showing me to you,
engaging in a conversation
about nature running true
Now, no longer feeling guilty
or a loser from the start,
but love to inspire me, legend
on my gay lover’s heart
Copyright R. N. Taber 2007; 2014
[Note: An earlier version of this poem appears under the title ‘Mirror, Mirror’ in 1st editions of Accomplices to Illusion by R. N. Taber, Assembly Books, 2007.]
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