When it happened, my 'coming out' to the straight folk
in my shared house was easier for them than it was for me.
They could rest from my struggle to find my new self
in ways that I could not, but I liked their acceptance.
Their apparent ease was a tonic when I needed one.
My struggle was partly about how unprepared I was
to join the minority 'community' of my choice.
When my struggle seemed past it's worst
it was clear that what I had become a token
-of liberal tolerance. Any human token
would have done for the majority straight folk.
The further I got into being 'out' the more I found
that real diversity lay in freedom from being judged;
real life was as far from the tokenism of tolerance
as the aspiring community of my new identity.
Ultimately I had only myself to trust.
in my shared house was easier for them than it was for me.
They could rest from my struggle to find my new self
in ways that I could not, but I liked their acceptance.
Their apparent ease was a tonic when I needed one.
My struggle was partly about how unprepared I was
to join the minority 'community' of my choice.
When my struggle seemed past it's worst
it was clear that what I had become a token
-of liberal tolerance. Any human token
would have done for the majority straight folk.
The further I got into being 'out' the more I found
that real diversity lay in freedom from being judged;
real life was as far from the tokenism of tolerance
as the aspiring community of my new identity.
Ultimately I had only myself to trust.
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