'ON BEING OBVIOUS"

"ΟΝ

Dear Jo:

Hi, darling. Thanks for the nice birthday card. Only, it isn't exactly my birthday yet. You are a month early. Anyway, I'll keep the card, so you won't have to send another.

You mentioned meeting some "characters." It's true that they are usually misunderstood; but I'll tell you what I think about them. They are usually true to what they consider to be our "Cause." In days of yore, as the saying goes, they would have made wonderful knights in armor. They are the fighting ones! The True-to-our Cause people. They have the idea, as mistaken as it might be, that they are being true, not only to the cause, but to themselves as well. That's why they appear to be "flaunting what they are" in the face of the world. These aroused ones will fight at the lease provocation, and no one should be surprised. to hear that they are usually found just that way . . . fighting. They are the Champions of homosexuality; and they pay for the privilege. Fine and good to be a Champion, if you want to be. Are you young, healthy, strong, sure of yourself, vigorous, and willing to suffer? Fine. Be a Champion, a Crusader. The rest of us (un-obvious-ones) will sit around pretending we don't see you. Did you lose your job? (We hung on to ours, by pretending that we aren't "that way.") Did you get ridiculed in the subway? (We didn't. We weren't even given a second glance.) Did you get beat-up last time you went to a gay bar? (We heard about it, but we walked out, quite unmolested.) Does your old Aunt Susie go: "Tsk! Tsk!" whenever you walk past her? (Ours doesn't. She smiles at us benevolently.) There is some virtue in what the Crusaders are doing...

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