|
Three Muskateers
"I love the conversations I have with my friends because day after day they teach me to appreciate and respect gay people and how gays face a lot of discrimination still."
By Jackie Guzman
Listen
to this Commentary!
Jackie Guzman grew up with her two best friends, Miguel and Danny. She has watched them struggle to embrace their identities as gay men, come out to family and friends and express their identities in very different ways. Here is her story of friendship, identity and support.
Danny and Miguel are very important in my life. They are my best friends and they teach me how to appreciate life in many ways. They offer me support and listen to me when I need a friend. We can either sing a song, go out and laugh about anything, or cry until we have no more tears. Through our friendship I have learned to see the world through their eyes as good people and gay men. A world that many people still judge and ignore.
I met Miguel in 7th grade, however, it wasn’t until senior year when I found out he was gay. I still remember the first time he told me about his fears.
MIGUEL (on tape)
If I come out of the closet to my family- like meaning my uncles and my aunts,
it is going to be a different reaction towards my family. Two of my sisters know that I’m gay, but when I first came up to them, they didn’t talk to me for two weeks and I felt rejected by them.
Miguel told me he tried to change his sexual preferences, but he couldn’t.
MIGUEL (on tape)
It is a very hard situation in my position because I’m coming from a Mexican family, and you know Mexican families are very tough when it comes to sexual preferences. It’s hard because you know in their family no one wants to have a gay person.
Twelve years have passed since the first time I met Miguel. Something I admire so much about him is his determination to live a healthy and successful life despite how hard it is to be gay in this world.
MIGUEL (on tape)
The main thing is I just trying to move out away from my family and being myself.
About three years ago, Miguel introduced me to his friends, Danny. At first glance, Danny seems very shy, but once you get to know him, he is very outrageous.
DANNY (on tape)
Oh my god! Guys look at my hair. I went to get a haircut today. Does it look good. Omg! Jackie it looks horrible. For reals! You’re not lying to me??
In less than two months Danny and I were the best friends going out everywhere and now I feel as if I know him for decades. He’s up for anything. Danny accepts himself for who he is, however if you don’t ask he probably won’t tell you he’s gay.
DANNY (on tape)
I found that I was gay maybe when I was 5 or 4 years old. I didn’t know what gay was because when you are a kid you don’t know a lot of stuff, you don’t know what the world is all about and what adult society is. and that word was not on my vocabulary. At five years old, I did not know what homosexual was. The one thing that I did know was that I was different from everybody else, that I was not normal. I came to find out because loved wearing my grandma shoes, I loved playing with barbies, I loved wearing dresses and my grandma’s skirts and everything.
I love the conversations I have with my friends because day after day they teach me to appreciate and respect gay people and how gays face a lot of discrimination still.
Danny (on tape)
Our society is not ready to accept the way gay people are, or their not ready to accept our opinions and our feelings. It all has to do with the way some people are closed minded or they’re ignorant to the topic of gay people.
My friends are completely full of surprises and when we get together, life has more value. Sometimes we feel we are the three musketeers without swords or horses.
|
|
