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Primer for Young Gay Men
No this isn’t an article about sex. Gay or straight, we all find our way quite well without everyone putting in their opinions for or against, legislative or moral, good, bad, or indifferent. I have just a few pointers to help some of the younger guys (and perhaps girls) understand the nuances of gay culture from the viewpoint of Boomers. We are the generation that marched in protests, burned draft cards, Acted Up, and moved away from family to urban centers for protection, a chance to be as OUT as we could, and find our fellow gay community.
But some movies gave us common background, and our conversations with one another are peppered with classic lines from some GREAT movies, and if you don’t have them in your background and hip pocket you’ll be left behind quickly! Even now my husband and I use lines in these movies daily, and our friends look at us mystified, while we smile and laugh at our own understanding of almost any situation and why it is FUNNY.
I came out rather late for someone my age. I was almost 40. I had a lot of catching up to do! But, I had a mentor who steered me to the right movies to help educate me on the nuances of gay culture, and I now call these films my “Queen Classics”.
The movie that pushed me out of my false narrative in life and into facing my true self was the British wonderful movie, “Shirley Valentine”. I watched…
