Disclaimer: This is the very first time I am discussing my sexuality in public so please bear with me.
One of my brother’s favourite shows to watch on Netflix is Queer Eye. One night as I got home quite late, I caught him watching the Season 2 finale, the one where the Fab 5’s “client” is Ted Terry, the 34-year old Mayor of Clarkston, Georgia. What jumped out at me from this episode was when Mayor Ted said, “[we] just need to let five gay guys into our lives and see what happens.” While he was referring to his “makeover,” I knew very well what Mayor Ted was talking about.
When I was a teenager, I struggled with my own sexuality. I knew I was attracted to both boys and girls but I struggled accepting the fact that I am bisexual, not only because it made me so confused but also because I feared the rejection from a family and a society that is deeply Catholic and conservative. I carried that apprehension with me to university, until I met an openly gay guy who eventually became my very best friend.
At first I just wanted to treat this person as merely my classmate. But as I got to know him more, our relationship blossomed from being classmates to being friends until we became more like brothers with different mothers. And as our bond became stronger, I slowly started to realise that I am slowly being liberated from the fears I had connected with my own sexuality. Now, while I don’t publicly talk about my sexuality, I am no longer apprehensive to discuss it. My gay best friend worked his magic to create a stronger, more confident Geo.
That’s why when I heard Mayor Ted say those words in the episode, I smiled. Because I didn’t just know what he meant by “see what happens”. I actually saw what happened – a colourful life and a very different Geo.