Recently in Gaïety Category
This made me smile. It's novel in itself that an eighty one year old constitutional monarch should make almost daily scribblings and post them to his country and the world via the internet - and why not - but quite another for them to be so openly liberal as this.
To précis, he begins...
"As befits the 2nd Khmer Kingdom, which has been a liberal democracy since 1993, I think that [the kingdom] should permit, if they desire it, marriage between a man and a man, or between a woman and a woman.
"...something Stairs has having difficulty making out..."
"Transvestites (Khteisys?) - neither men nor women - these transvestites should be accepted and well treated within our national community.
"As for homosexuals and lesbians, I respect them. It isn't their fault that they (sensitive interjection of gender-specific corrections to include both sexes - I like this guy) are as they are; it is the good God who loves diversity of tastes and colours, among all [sorts of] humans, animals, plants &c.
It's a shame that he can't execute his will, or the hardcore conservative right, but it is refreshing to hear something like that from someone so locally revered.
End of illuminating dinner break.
---
EDIT: BBC link
On the Jubilee and Victoria lines today, two different male couples are being themselves; dark fingers absentmindedly tickle the nape of the one with his eyes peaceably closed; the others sit with their fingers interlocked, a conveniently grown knee supporting this gentle union in full public display. Opposite, a young, tough looking bloke sits with his arm about his girlfriend - she sleeps with her cheek buried against his collarbone; he's staring at them.
His expression is unreadable, but it interests me because straight men seem to have the biggest problems when faced with homosexuality, and yet I know so many who don't have issues at all. Not even little ones. I just want to know what he is thinking, staring like that.
One of the chaps looks up, notices the scrutiny, and takes in the gaze impassively. Straight-boy blinks himself out an apparent stupour, and smiles. Gay man smiles back, and both look to themselves.
On the train to Cambridge, a stubbly thirtysomething in a muted blue jumper sleeps against the shoulder of a twentysomething, his own head resting against his companion's, hand hanging languidly over thigh. A pair of black chaps get on at Letchworth. the one walking ahead stops dead in the aisle on seeing the pair, "Woah, check this out!" to his mate. His mate shrugs, "Life is beautiful. C'mon..." and pushes him on down the carriage.
Cambridge is dead; there's nobody here. All the lights are off in all the wrong places; my house is empty; the labs are too; it's a different planet at this time of year. I'll finish my business here before heading back to the Big Smoke, and return to a busier Cambridge in the new year.
Life is beautiful. C'mon?
Huh, it really may seem that, today.
Uh-oh, black clouds are gathering; time to make an escape.
I can't answer your questions for you. There was a time, long ago, when even I wanted, with all my soul, to be straight, despite coming from the liberal lot you well know. It was largely my perception of peoples' expectations of me that made me so miserable, to desire to change myself in this most fundamental way. These thoughts subsided as I came to realise that it wasn't a selfish thing, being true to my own feelings, that I wasn't in any way wrong; it is your right not to have to deny your own essence, but I understand that circumstances peculiar to your situation didn't play a part in mine; I didn't have to live with those concerns, and can only imagine how they must make life seem. You already know what I would say, but it isn't my place to give you answers that only you can arrive at. Keep talking.
G'night
