Thread by @rufusgifford

The Florida “Don’t say gay” bill signed into law by the Governor today breaks my heart. I want to explain to you why.

🧵

I was an awkward kid. Always different. Pink was my favorite color from the age of two and after seeing “Star Wars” at the age of three, my idea of the perfect afternoon was alone in my room with my Star Wars action figures dreaming of a fantasy land far, far away.

I was a young boy in the 80s when any and all mainstream talk about being gay was connected to a life of misery, isolation and death from AIDS. Jokes about “faggots” were prevalent in my classroom and around my kitchen table.

It’s hard for me to remember when I first realized I was attracted to men, but I knew for sure I wasn’t ”gay” because gay was bad, gay was evil, gay was less than human.

The struggle to contain my feelings became impossible - my strongest memories are of lying in bed at night tears in my eyes, feeling terrified that I didn’t want to kiss my girlfriend. I was a failure. The depression lingered. My desire to escape got all too close to reality.

Through a decades long journey fueled by the love of family and friends, I made it out and fought and fought to do things I never dreamed of.

But I always think about the young boy who wanted nothing more than to understand he had a place in this world, that he was ok.

And by god I wish in first grade I could have - read a book about a family with two Moms - maybe a classroom where my teacher would have been happy to talk about his wedding with his husband - maybe a fictional story as lovely as two male penguins sharing their lives together.

I would have soaked up every word with a lump in my throat.

Our lawmakers are now making that illegal. And that is a goddam shame.

I will continue to fight for the boys and girls who feel like they don’t have a special place in this world… Because even if the lawmakers in Florida don’t believe it, there a hell of a lot of us out here who believe that YOU DO. And in fact will change the world. 🏳️‍🌈