My Dear Gerry,
It is now 71 years and 8 months, since that day, Grandpa Buncher became overwhelmed with joy and delight that his oldest son, Howard, had HIS oldest son Gerald William. A Grandson, to carry on the Buncher name, a new Prince soon to become King of the Buncher Kingdom, albeit a small tailor located on Walnut Street in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. For the travels, trials, and tribulations of a journey from Kyiv to Pittsburgh, fighting the hordes of Russian pogroms, Benjamin Buncher was a Grandfather, and HIS Grandson would inherit the Earth!
True and false, Gerry…It was the 1950’s and if you “Liked Ike” you also understood black was black, white was white, wrong was wrong, right was right, boys ONLY became masculine men, and girls only grew to become feminine women. At first, it was not a struggle, you were young and had time to prepare for ALL the MALE responsibilities lying in wait for you, OR was it, waiting to trip you up, tease you and try your stamina and strength. Nonetheless, it was a time when no one EVER drew outside of the lines, and EVERONE remained inside their perceived boxes. You did, and be it fate, or in Yiddish BESHERT (destiny), or human nature, time passed, and you pursued a life where heterosexuality was the main course and homosexuality that seemingly elusive dessert!
Lots to learn and unlearn, accept and realize that to be accepted meant coming into a light and leaving the shadows and closet forever. To be honest, Gerry, you did your best, and at times felt you needed to even be better. Thank you for FINALLY seeking and reaching for YOUR truth.
Much love and admiration,
Gerry
PS: June 12, 2021, marks the 5-year anniversary of the tragic Pulse Nightclub shooting, a day that devastated—and united—the Orlando community… Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday slashed $900,000 in funding for programs that serve LGBTQ people in Central Florida, including a program that provides mental health services to survivors and family members of victims of the Pulse nightclub mass shooting. A promise, young Gerry, I WILL NEVER GIVE UP THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM AND EQUALITY, because SILENCE EQUALS DEATH!
