I was standing at the ticket counter of the movie theater and couldn’t believe my ears. They were telling me that Theater of Blood, with the great Vincent Price, was rated “R” and they were not letting me in without a parent. I was a horror-movie obsessed boy of 12, and was inconsolable. “I won’t look at any sexy stuff,” I remember pleading, “I just came for the gore!”
With visions of decapitations fading like an old blood stain, I made the long walk back home and exposed my broken heart to Mother, who made one of the grandest gestures of my childhood: she took me back for the late show. On a school night.
It wouldn’t be the last time she had my back. Over the years she proved a trustworthy ally, and this was never more true than in the 1980’s, when gay men often lost their mothers — hell, their entire families — when an AIDS diagnosis was revealed.
Mom never abandoned me or my gay older brother, Dick (is there no gayer name than Dick King? Did my parents consult the Falcon Video Book of Baby Names?). I tested positive in 1985, and Mom immediately went to work educating herself on HIV.
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My brother was spared HIV infection but suffered its cruelty nevertheless: his lover of 13 years, Emil, died of AIDS in the early, scorched-earth years of the epidemic.
In this video, I sat Mom down to find out things I’ve never asked before. What did she really feel when she found out I was positive? Did she believe I would die? Do mothers have a right to know? What advice would she offer other families? We also talk about the loss of Emil and the repercussions from it we still feel today.
Mom is no expert. She isn’t an AIDS researcher and she doesn’t march on Washington. She just loves her kids and tries to understand what is happening in their lives and how she can help. If your mother is like mine, we have a lot to celebrate (or remember) this Mother’s Day weekend.
[This essay was first published on My Fabulous Disease.]
Anthony Bryan Hilton
what? You guys are actually posting something worth reading. No twinks? No naked pool parties? no Sex stories? Im shocked.
DarkZephyr
@ Well that’s ok, you went ahead and provided comment section snark and what is Queerty without comment section snark?
DarkZephyr
I think that the first paragraph of this article was not published here at Queerty. But the video is awesome! I love it. Your Mom rocks!
Impossible Boy
I was standing at the ticket counter of the movie theater and couldn’t believe my ears. They were telling me that Theater of Blood, with the great Vincent Price, was rated “R” and they were not letting me in without a parent. I was a horror-movie obsessed boy of 12, and was inconsolable. “I won’t look at any sexy stuff,” I remember pleading, “I just came for the gore!”
(missing first paragraph)
Mark
@Impossible Boy: Thanks, Impossible. it has been corrected!
Alex Rothwell
Mark S. King you have a true Mom ! Interesting story.
Cagnazzo82
She’s extremely understanding. Not just by today’s standards, but by the 80s as well.
We live in a world still where parents are willing to abandon their kids even if they’re not sick, but solely on account of sexual orientation.
So this is truly remarkable. This lady is what being a mom should be about.
Kudos on Queerty for some positive content.
bottom250
Thank you Mom for being there for your flaming son. Thank you for all the tips about dating guys.
james_in_cambridge
Your mom is beyond awesome!