Discussion about this post

User's avatar
Cute Boots RocketCat's avatar

The person I know who loved Christmas more than anyone in the world died of AIDS in front of me, in the gap years before AZT was covered by insurance and there were no options to stop the progression of AIDS. I have written about Martin more than any other person who has touched my life, because a gay man represented to me not only the childhood wonderment spirit of Christmas, but also the generous, forgiving, and eternally-giving spirit I associate with the true followers of Jesus Christ, and religious study (foul mouth aside) ultimately became a huge chunk of my life. He loved Jesus so much, even though he was disowned by his family and church, even though he was gay, and as he got sicker it was almost all he could say. I love the Lord. I love the Lord. It was his mantra.

I might even make a special trip to Target just to get that kitschy gay nutcracker. Martin would have loved it. Every year, I overdecorate and buy something in honor of Martin. If anyone asks me if another human influenced my religious convictions? The human who believed long after every institution and every other person betrayed and rejected him to die, and he still had the most loving heart and good faith in others? Yeah--that’s who saved me and “brought me to Jesus”--not pastors, reverend doctors, professors, or learned rabbis. That’s who convinced me there was true, life-sustaining power in ideas. A point to “all that fucking decorating.” Traditions that mean something. Merry Christmas, Martin (he would be in his mid-sixties now).

Expand full comment
Edith Prickly's avatar

“𝗜 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝘆 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗿.”

I would watch the fuck out of a holiday special called "Gay Nutcracker and Black Disabled Santa Go Way Too Far"

Expand full comment
575 more comments...

No posts