Cyrus v. the Homosapien Agenda

Chapter 13 - 12/2/21

FROM: jetkelly813@gmail.com

TO: isthisjustfantasy@gmail.com

DATE: December 2 at 5:02 PM

SUBJECT: I should be...

writing an essay for AP Lang. I'd rather write to you, though. I'm in my room, and the window is right next to my desk. It's been sunny for the better part of three hours today, and I seriously wish we'd gotten a poem about the sun to rhetorically analyze because I couldn't relate more.

So Lucas, I have to confess that I've been wondering about your email address for a long time. I know the obvious answer is the song from Queen. But I don't think you're the type of person to have an email with the singular meaning of a lyric. Do you feel like this might just be a dream sometimes?

You know that you can see since when a person's had their email for on Gmail now? Most people I know have turned it off, but yours is still displayed to the world. You should change that.

It says you've had this email since 2008. And since that's out in the world, let me share with you mine for this email. I made it when I was 13, so 2017. I'd had my first crush on a guy and I'd found a sort of LGBT chatroom. I created the email to be anonymous.

Here's something. My mom's coming from Salt Lake City, and we're having Christmas with my whole family. It's been a long time since we've all been together. But mom wanted to have a dinner together before the whole debacle with just me.

Here's the thing: I think I'm going to come out to my mom.

It was always easier to talk to her than my dad. With him, we're always talking about sports with the occasional intellectual pursuit on hand. Mom on the other hand is the person who has always been there for me intellectually and emotionally. She's never said she hates LGBT people but she's never said she supports them either. It's somewhat nervewracking, but I think I can deal.

Any advice?

-Jet

FROM: isthisjustfantasy@gmail.com

TO: jetkelly813@gmail.com

DATE: December 2 at 9:13 PM

SUBJECT: RE: I should be...

Jet,

To start things off:

This used to be the email I used for accounts on all those kid games. I'm talking Club Penguin, Disney Channel, Poptropica, and at one point that Pixie Hollow game. My siblings and I were on it together - my older's gmail ID was faithtrustandpixiedust and my younger's was pufflesarekul. I think my parents found out so they deleted theirs but I always kept mine, since they didn't know my email. When I was 12 they saw my email address but I told them it was a reference to the Queen song. I still use it for CP Rewritten.

And yeah, sometimes I do wonder if this is all just a fantasy, and I'm going to wake up in my 13 year old body, still crushing on my first real guy crush. But knowing the small things, like having Bag for Lang, helps ground me to this reality.

Next up, which I've been trying to not talk about for a bit but I think now is a good time:

I came out to my family the day after Thanksgiving. I was trying to get a gauge on the situation all week because my cousin Blue announced he was engaged to another guy. Everyone handled it positively so I came out to everyone. Meaning my family, Blue and his mom, and his fiancé's family.

Believe me, it was scary as hell at first. But having their support meant the world to me. From all you told me, I think your mom will be the same.

It's best you bring it up casually. Say something like "My friend's cousin got engaged to his boyfriend over Thanksgiving" and gauge her reaction from that. If her lips purse or she frowns, it may be an issue. If she says "ugh why do homosexuals exist" or something along those lines, it's a definite no. If she's neutral or positive, go for it.

I do agree, though. This was a much better use of my time than writing an essay.

Oh, what the hell. I can't even fib. I pounded that thing out before writing this email.

-Lucas

FROM: jetkelly813@gmail.com

TO: isthisjustfantasy@gmail.com

DATE: December 3 at 5:20 PM

SUBJECT: Re: I should be...

Lucas,

Why am I not surprised about the games thing? It's cool that you and your siblings had a bit of solidarity in the matter. I'm glad you kept the email though ;).

Second...

I was not expecting you to say that. I can see that you are closer to your family than I am. For some strange reason, though, I thought it would be me doing the Coming Out and then giving you advice. That's really egotistical of me, and for that I apologize.

I am proud of you. Seriously. It takes guts and you have more guts than I do. Maybe knowing you were able to do it will make it easier on me.

I know we celebrate two different holidays, but it got me thinking about what I'd give you for Hannukah. Perhaps a Club Penguin set of books? Disney stuff? Maybe Writing Rhetorical Essays for Dummies?

Wait, I think I'm in need of that last one, considering I spent two hours cumulative on writing it and I've got a helluva thesis. Nothing else interesting.

- Jet