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I'm remembering “Joey”. He was a trans kid…boy to girl. 1961. Milk was delivered in bottles cars had fins the Twilight Zone wasn't even in re-runs yet and Good King John was on the Throne. Joey and I we were both 11. We all have history Women Queers Trans and all the identities. Even straight white people. Bigotry to anyone for any reason is poor mental health. Well, part of my family was in show business, so my folks had seen a wider world. My being a Queer kid wasn’t traumatic for them. …mostly. They knew since I was born. Consistently screwing up at math was another matter.
So they didn’t call an exorcist when Joey and I did makeup in the garage. However, my Ma given those times always said ‘only do this in the house’…fearing for our safety. Joey’s family except for his sister gave him hell. Our house was his safe place. I loved my folks for that.
Come to remember it the guys on the block didn't bother him much …he was just Joey. Kids I think have other concerns than ritual tribal hatreds. They some of them in time fall into it. However, in our early beginnings we’re innocent. Would we could all find our way back to that.
Joey was a special soul. Sweet gentle kind brilliant. Born in the wrong era as so many. He took his life when he was in his 20's. The cruelty became too much. I wrote this so his story or part of it would be known. He lived walked this earth and gave only love.
Such a sad story. In some ways the world has gotten better, even while in other ways it’s gotten worse.
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Joey like so many was trapped in the wrong history. I could see him today doing a video blog show with zillions of fans. He had the wit and bright kindly talent to do so. Like thinking of all the treasures of accomplishment that's stillborn by persecutions and wars. However, Joey lives on in all the hopes and progress made in the decades since he left us. I posted this on FB. It had an effect. I mentioned there that now at least his name and the kind of soul he was is known.
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