On this Pride Month Eve, let us spare a little space for one of our gay male icons. I always had a soft spot for Pee-wee Herman. The funny little man with the crazy laugh and bow tie just wanted us all to embrace the joy in our inner (or outer) weirdness. And the man behind the gray suit, Paul Ruebens certainly went through fame’s wringer. In a sadly recurring theme, much like Sally Ride, he was only really able to come out posthumously.
As LGBTQ+ rights – particularly that of our trans and nonbinary friends – are under constant assault from this administration, it’s important to remember that the rights we have now are new and not assured. We are still living with generations who were forced in the closet and never truly able to be openly themselves in life. And that’s sad, but also a call to action. No more generations forced into the closet. No more elders unable to live their truths. Fuck all the bigots. I hope Pee-wee and Paul are riding red bicycles with white-wash wheels in the sky somewhere and laughing, laughing, laughing. Happy weekend, all.
2 comments:
Thank you!
He brought so much joy to the world and deserves to be remembered for it.
I watched the doc. I didn't realize he wasn't out at the time. The second part was heart breaking.
The other thing that came through was how wonderful his family was - all around there for each other. No small thing.
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