It took Peter Pan

by Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief

Happy Mother’s Day to all you mom’s out there. It’s been 16 Mother’s Day’s without my mom and I still miss her so much.

Funny story about how my precious Nazarene mom came to accept the whole “LGBTQ” thing. In her opinion, homosexuality was a sin.

I was in my 20’s, living by myself and she felt I needed, “watched over.” She liked Don, my neighbor and thought he would be great for that. Except his lifestyle, of course.

Mom knew Don was gay and where she thought he’d surely burn in the hellfire of damnation for his homosexual sins, she still thought he was a great guy here on earth.

But I knew mom would like all my (gay) friends. After all, we’re some good people.

Picture this: It’s circa, 1989. I’m enmeshed in our community and know I’m a part of it, but just how do I break it to mom?

I know…Peter Pan.

I was gifted 20 tickets to a production of Peter Pan. Mom was visiting me here in Oklahoma City – she lived near Wichita at the time. I told her we were going to a play and she was so excited. Just as we were getting ready, I told her a few of my friends were going with us. She thought that sounded fun.

Then they began to arrive. 14 gay men and four lesbians came to the apartment where I lived – of course Don was there. Mom began to sense something, but everyone was so nice to her, I could just see her rolling with the flow and really enjoying herself.

Then this happened; “Mrs. Dorner, let me get that door for you,” “Betty, would you like my jacket?” “Mrs. Dorner, could I get you something to drink?”

You see, my mom was being treated like a queen and she wasn’t used to that. Funny, she seemed to forget the hellfire and damnation “clause” in the Bible - if not just for those few amazing hours with these great friends.

The play was fantastic, mom had a great time, my friends didn’t know it was a set-up…they were just being themselves.

Don’t get me wrong, my mom was a wonderful person – bless her heart! Prior to that, she just had only the Bible as a guide to “judge” people rather than actually getting to know them.

I wish more people would actually get to know a person rather than placing judgement. I think we’d all get along better and be a lot happier.

There is a quote by Herbert Spencer that I think is appropriate here, “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation.”

However in mom’s case, instead of investigation it took Peter Pan.

Copyright 2017 The Gayly – May 12, 2017 @ 12:35 p.m.