Brian’s Reflection: Wednesday, February 10, 2010
“A valiant standardbearer of liberty and humanity and compassion”. “An exemplar of great manly love.” So say words on Paul Monette’s grave plaque. Paul died on this day, 1995, of the complications of AIDS. Well I remember reading in 1988 the book he wrote, “Borrowed Time”, chronicling the fight against and death of his partner Roger Horwitz from AIDS. It deeply touched me, and it shaped my humanity and personhood. I wrote to him, and he responded. In 1992, he won the National Book Award for non-faiction with his autobiography, “Becoming a Man”.
The Teabaggers and their ilk are trying yet again to raise racism and homophobia in America. Alas, they seem to have many allies. I will never see them as patriots, as real Americans. Paul is one of my heroes. Doing his best, in the face of tremendous rejection, to be a “valiant standardbearer of liberty and humanity and compassion”. Paul is to me a true hero and patriot.
Today, I hear him speaking the motto on his gravestone: “Remember, love will see us through”. I’ll try my best to live that vision.
Brian+
2 comments:
Thank you so very much Brian for remembering this wonderful Story Teller and Writer. I hope that Decades from now....he and others will be appreciated for their depth, insights and grace...Blessed Be...
joel
I noticed the other day that Rog was missing from Findagrave.com, which seemed wrong, seeing as how his love inspired such great writing. That's fixed now.
We sail together
if we sail at all.
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