by William E. Smith – Homosexual Life After 40
As June approaches and rainbow flags start to flutter from porches and storefronts, it’s simple to see Delight as a youthful celebration of freedom, id, and love. However for these of us over 40, Delight isn’t simply in regards to the social gathering — it’s a profound reminder of the place we’ve been, how far we’ve come, and why we should hold exhibiting up.
In the event you’re a homosexual man in your 40s, 50s, 60s, or past, this season means extra than simply glitter and parades. It means visibility. It means legacy. And for many people, it means therapeutic.
We Lived By What Others Solely Learn About
Many people got here of age when being out wasn’t an choice. We keep in mind the worry of dropping jobs, households, and even our lives only for being who we’re. We keep in mind the AIDS epidemic not as historical past, however as our actuality — the empty chairs at Sunday brunch, the obituaries that got here far too quickly.
So once we present up for Delight, we supply the recollections of pals we misplaced, protests we marched in, closets we kicked open, and love we have been as soon as advised we didn’t deserve. That alone makes our presence highly effective.
Growing older with Delight: The Visibility We Deserve
Let’s face it — LGBTQ+ tradition usually idolizes youth. However Delight offers us area to say: We’re nonetheless right here. We nonetheless matter. Our tales, our survival, and our laughter are a part of the muse the youthful technology now walks on.
In the event you’ve ever felt invisible at a homosexual bar, or missed in a relationship app, Delight is your second to shine. Not as somebody who was related, however as somebody who is important — to this motion, this group, and this second.
Delight as a House for Therapeutic and Pleasure
So many people spent our youth making an attempt to shrink ourselves. Delight is our annual invitation to increase — to be louder, freer, and extra joyful than we thought we have been allowed to be.
Dancing on the street at 50, kissing your associate in public at 60, sporting a tank prime and unapologetically exhibiting off that proud, lived-in physique at any age — these are revolutionary acts. Acts of pleasure. Acts of self-love. Acts that inform the world: We made it.
The Work Isn’t Over — And We’re Not Accomplished
Whereas we’ve seen monumental strides in LGBTQ+ rights, there’s nonetheless work to do. Trans rights, racial justice, elder care, and healthcare disparities — these are nonetheless our points too. Delight reminds us that we’re not simply survivors; we’re leaders. Mentors. Witnesses to historical past and brokers of change.
Let’s use our voices, our tales, and our platforms — whether or not at Delight occasions, in our communities, or right here on-line — to carry others up and hold the spirit of Delight alive.
A Name to Delight
This Delight season, I encourage each homosexual man over 40 to step into the celebration — whether or not in particular person, on-line, or in your personal coronary heart.
Inform your story. Share a smile. Present up in your fullest, truest self. As a result of we didn’t come all this solution to fade into the background. We got here to shine.
Joyful Delight. You belong right here. You’re seen. And you’re price celebrating — each single 12 months.
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William E. Smith
Founder, Homosexual Life After 40
