The Unicorn Boys

I now know that I was born a unicorn in an environment where unicorns weren’t merely unappreciated, but their existence wasn’t even acknowledged. I had the fundies on one side and the rednecks on the other. Both insisted that boys and men live inside a box known as traditional masculinity. As a result, my passions were repressed. I can remember clearly how frustrating it was when I was asked to list my interests because I couldn’t think of any. This is because I wasn’t really allowed to have official, overtly stated interests, and that’s because if I did, they would have been outside the box. At the time, I didn’t realize this and thought that perhaps I was a boring, dull person who had nothing to offer.

Eventually it dawned on me that I was interested in many things. I just didn’t know to call them interests or that a person could enrich his life by pursuing those interests. I liked movies, theater and stories. I also liked photography, art, architecture, interior design, antiques and fashion.

So I love this picture. Sure, the boys are cute and easy on the eyes, but what I like best about it is they are presented as unusual boys, as unicorn boys, boys who would be dazzled and delighted by a chandelier. I look at them and know that I was never really alone.