I took Izzy to Devotion last night. He was looking fierce, just like all the gorgeous gay men in my life, so he fit right in at the Endup where the house music is always amazing and the love is flowing like a river. I quickly recovered from exhaustion and held court in my $5 Target(pronounced Tar-zhay) Oscar the Grouch tee. Yes I’m at my heaviest(again!) and yet last night I felt beautiful and glamorous.

Being a straight woman who loves gay men has truly been a blessing. My boys have seen me fat and thin, acne-ridden and clear-skinned, high-femme and laid-back, with long hair and short hair. No matter what, they love me and tell me so. What a great world we would have if we always loved unconditionally and we weren’t afraid to express our love openly. Last night, Izzy was impressed by the greetings, kisses, and hugs I received from many people. To me, it was simply a homecoming, a reaffirmation of family love.

However, my happy little bubble was disturbed by the appearance of one of last week’s dates. E is a recently divorced 40-year-old business owner. He is smart, charming, and loves house music. Though I’m not one for guys with hair longer than mine, I might have considered a second date. I intend to never go out with E again. I am not willing to overlook his recent introduction to the drug Ecstasy. What killed it were his statements, “I think E has changed my life for the better” and “If I could do it every day, I would.” Spoken like a true drug addict. It didn’t help that he tried to dance near the fabulous Steven, star hair designer and beloved club kid. Straight men, even ones with rhythm, should NEVER try to out-dance gay boys, especially those with extensive dance performance experience. It’s tragic to watch. Anyway, I stuck to Izzy and my Endup family like glue so E kept his distance for the rest of the night.

Nevertheless, it was a Pride party to remember: Izzy’s first night out with me. We used to talk about it when he had barely left the nest of my classroom. Time passes quickly but unlike our insect counterparts, great fruit flies are, in the words of my son Izzy, “timeless.”