My brother [Steve] was like a true nerd, and this is at the height of the 1980s, like Revenge of the Nerds. [But] our town wasn’t yet at the Revenge of the Nerds sort of state.
John Cena speaking to Armchair Expert host Dax Shepherd about his gay older brother, Steve, and growing up in a family of five boys.
Life was tough for my brother in high school. Not only was he an introvert and interested in computers, he’s also gay. And being gay in the 1980s in a small town in Massachusetts… man, that’s an uphill climb.
He just had a lot of character traits that weren’t in the ‘cool kid’ group, and he’s also holding this secret that he can’t tell or talk to anybody about. I really feel for what it must have been like for him growing up.
I don’t think I understood what was going on [at the time]. Kids are harsh. They form clicks real fast. And we always just hung out with each other. There was enough of us to have a basketball team, which means we could do whatever we want. We want to play football or baseball, there’s enough of us. So we didn’t feel we needed anybody else. If we could make it through school and get back to the house, all is fine.
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MSD365
I think it is a publicity stunt.
DynaTech Systems
mikhailmaui
You think what is a publicity stunt? That he made a comment about his brother? Your comment is quite confusing.
Saps48
I always sensed empathy with him, ever since he appeared in that Fred movie, and now I understand why.
linedrive
I can relate to the loneliness and isolation his brother likely felt. So many gay people can. That’s why I’ve never understood those who claim people choose to be gay. Like, seriously, who would choose to be lonely and isolated and potentially hated by people you love?
My2CentsWorth
There are reasons for such hate, much of which has nothing to do with the targets of their hate but because of childhood personal issues/problems experience.
I just came across a New Yorker article (by Benjamin Wallace-Wells) on Christopher Rufo. Another article. by Jason Wilson / Wed 11 Oct 2023, focuses him “working with extremists (racists and etc.) to “destroy the [not real] power of the left.
He is the one who is credited with coming up with labeling anti-bigotry classes as Critical Race Theory and he is a leader of the efforts against any anti-bigotry of LGBTQ lessons and books in schools and libraries. My take on the article was that this guy is dealing with some personal problem and that set him on the hate path that he is traveling.
His wife is Thai. It is very likely that their 3, or more, children will encounter racists who will verbally, or even physically attack them because of their mixed race. For the sake of the child I hope that not one of them turns out to be LGTBQ. The young children and his wife are beautiful.
One of the articles stated that he lives in Gig Harbor, WA., Near a not too far away town, Ocean Shores, of approx 100 miles away a group of Asian teens were attacked a few years ago because they were of Asian background and one, or more, was killed. In the future, his children could have the same experiences. Because of his success the chances of verbal and physical attacks might be more likely.
How can people like him be oblivious of the possibility that what they are doing will end up hurting them, or their family and friends?