Reply #58: Ft. Myers, Florida

[Sapphocrat]

First trip there was in 1989. Was invited to a big family party by the friend I was visiting. Met her father. Big bear of a man. Throws his arm around me (too familiar!), asks where I'm from.

"San Francisco?" he says. "Is it true it's fulla nothin' but n----rs 'n' queers?" Big laugh.

Later, friend apologizes for father's behavior, reassures me that no, my plane to FL did not go through a time warp.

"That's just the way it is," friend says, still ashamed of father's behavior. "You know, a lot of people have stopped shopping at the Piggly-Wiggly because a few black families have started showing up there."

Friend was also gay and very closeted.

I forget what a bubble I live in out here. A beautiful, precious bubble.


On edit: typo