The Chasing Iamb

Eric Hyman, an entertainment lawyer weds Max Mutchnik, one of the creators of Will&Grace. They are one of 22,000 gay and lesbian couples to wed in California since May all trying to beat the possible ban that may come up soon. I'm not big on wedding pix but these did make me ooh and aah a bit.

What really kind of twisted me inside was watching the Republican mayor of San Diego cry while he announced that he now supported gay marriage. He has changed his mind. Barely ten days after telling my weeping, terrified mother on the phone that no, I'm not a lesbian (really ma, no really) watching the poor old man is more than a little moving.

Apparently my mother thought that my asking her to be sure to pick up the Tehelka issue with the gay cover story was my secret cry for help. That I was asking permission to come out of the Godrej cupboard. Not that I wanted her to see essays written by people whom she had had over in her house, cooked for and worried over. So much did she need to believe me that she accepted my half-giggling, half-crying denial within five minutes.

The subsequent conversation was actually so sad that it hurts when I laugh: Yes, yes, she was okay with ALL my friends being gay. Yes, she was sure that they were all good people. Maybe they should not be making it all so public. Isn't it difficult for them? Their parents? No, she can't think of anything else now. She's just tired. She doesn't have the energy for one more complication in her life. She just wants everything to be normal now. No, she couldn't discuss her worries about her daughter's possible sexually deviant behaviour with her son because she doesn't talk about things like this with him. Yes, she has hidden this week's Tehelka from her husband and her son. No, she isn't worried anymore. Yes, perhaps it will all seem funny six months from now. Alright, goodnight and let's forget that she called about this.

Fat chance.