The Successful Homosexual

Interviewed by Chuck Taylor

(Names and places have of course been modified)

Your name, please?

Wilbur O'Donnel. Call me 'Pete,'

tho.

Pete?

I don't like the name, 'Wilbur.' All right, Pete. Would you tell us your occupation?

I'm a carpenter.. Your age?

Thirty-two. Bet you didn't think I was that old, did you?

No, you look younger. How long have you been a carpenter?

Oh, all my life, you might say. I picked it up early from my dad and brothers.

They're carpenters?

Yeah. Only I went to school besides, took up building, you know? Roof framing, that's pretty tricky to figure out, and I hadn't had none of that too much, and I figured it would come in handy to know, so I went to school on the G.I. Bill, took it up. It's come in mighty handy since.

Are you a homosexual?

Sure. I don't go around letting on, but between you and me, sure. Have you been successful at it?

Have I done it? Yes. Have I got caught? No. Have I been in a jam? Almost. So now I'm careful. I don't go out looking. If something happens, OK, if nothing happens, so what did I expect? You gotta be cool in small places. This ain't no big

one

city, and everybody knows everything about you. Or they think they do. You gotta let on, sometimes, do what they expect of you, to keep 'em. guessing.

How do you react against this forced conformity?

I don't mind. Hell, no, I take out the girls once in awhile, you know, show 'em a good time. I have fun, too. Nothing serious. If you don't, they start talking, and asking infernal questions. 'Why don't you go out more? When are you going to get married?' That jazz.

Have you ever gotten serious about a girl?

Nawh. When I was a punk right outta school, yes. I went with a girl pretty steady. Nice girl, too. Stella. She was so nice, I didn't want to hurt her, you know what I mean? So I went with fellas for my satisfaction. Maybe I put it off too long, getting married, maybe I was already that way,' I don't know. I didn't think nothing by it. It was a uh—

Substitute?

That's it. I still thought I liked girls. It never entered my head then, I was homosexual.

What changed you?

Going away to the army. I was in, like everybody else. I didn't do nothing, understand. But I picked up tales about what fellas would do, and I began to wonder if the jokes