The Love Of A Good Woman

The Hips Of A Hot Man

Valentine’s Day is a day for lovers: a man and a woman, roses, chocolate, steamy car windows, ecstasy hot enough to melt coconut oil off the back of a …

You straight folks have it made on Valentine’s Day, don’t you?

You openly go to restaurants, you party, dance, you kiss.

You hold hands in public and you eat those heart shaped sugar candies. What are they called? The ones

with the hot little words carved in pink?

You go out on the town and see other folks who look just like you and you smile and wink. Wink-wink-wink! Why there’s Jeremy and Renee, from Wal-Mart’s home office!

But do you see us queer folk, wink-wink-wink? I doubt it.

Although at times it’s good you don’t see us, your inability to see us in society as loving couples maintains the plague of marginalization that separates fellow human beings from the rest of your “normal society.”

Come on; take a look around you, man.

Do you see Michael and Austin at the table next to yours, making eyes at one another? Do you see Beth and Jeanine holding hands under the tablecloth at unarguably the best Thai restaurant in town? How about Betty and I huddled in the corner, “unusually close” for two old ladies?

“Too bad they’re all alone,” you think to yourself. “And single besides on Valentine’s Day!”

“I wonder what’s wrong with those two?” You mumble to your girlfriend, through bites of bread, butter dripping down your chin.

Are you listening, straight boy?

Do you want to know a little secret?

OK, so here’s an insight into the queer world for you straight folks in Northwest Arkansas: There are men sitting right beside you, (just glance, it’s rude to stare) who love the curves of men, and there are women at the next table over (just to the left of your girlfriend’s thigh) who prefer the soft lips of women. And guess what, dude? We are celebrating Valentine’s Day too!

Of course we’re not often allowed to celebrate openly like you are, unless we’re with our “own kind.” But that’s OK, cause baby we’re out here! We’re everywhere.

Just like you straight folks, we’re lusting after one another, celebrating longtime love affairs and marriages and looking for shiny new friends.

We’re not in your Hallmark Hall of Fame specials, nor do we get our faces on Day Spring greeting cards but we ARE here.

This Valentine’s Day keep your eyes open Northwest Arkansas. Make it a party game with your date. First one to discretely find the queers celebrating Valentine’s Day gets a box of chocolates!

We’re not here to please you, dude. But we’re here to stay.

To my own personal lover on Valentine’s Day 2011, I say this to you: Betty, you are the love of my life and I celebrate your presence every moment I live. Bless you for staying beside me for 20 years, for loving me without doubt, for keeping me warm in the winter and marrying me in the summer, but most of all, thank you for being my one true Valentine. I

dedicate these lines to you my sweetheart:

“How beautiful and how delightful you are. My love, with all your charms!

“Your stature is like a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters. I say, ‘I will climb the palm tree, I will take hold of its fruit stalks.’

“Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine and the fragrance of your breath like apples and your mouth like the best wine!”

— The Song of Solomon

Clusters of fruit and the best wine to you all and happy Valentine’s Day Northwest Arkansas! May we all meet someday, Over the Rainbow …

Love, Lillian

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