When Charlton Married Leroy

WHEN CHARLTON MARRIED LEROY You are challenged to reply To those that would your very existence deny Needs you once more to justify That you matter, regardless of their why Quote better people on humanity Explain again, that recurrent indignity Enemy, again, of a re-awakened religiosity Target of a holy, righteous animosity And the desire to clap back To seem to brave, not wither under the attack The straw that broke the camel’s back That someone painted white and black And so by our lack defined Featured in the cruel and the unkind So that the question comes to mind Why queer, if such is what you find? The choice about - not life - lifestyle In reality an absence of choice the while Coming out, or with lies and show beguile Answer, and under ‘dysfunction’ file Upholding now that almost ubiquitous position That aligns with constraint and tradition The denial of aspects of the human condition That historic’ly feeds on disregard and omission So that the reason for brooking hate and despair The expression of self, share of the air Manifests what births a need to compare Condemn and disown, erasure as care And the beauty, the love, the joy As when Charlton married Leroy A high point in community Rises to challenge much to love in unity But love they do, and carry us through too Mr and Mr Peterson risen, a better me and you SP