Fare-Thee-Well, Bucks County Playhouse!

This October, for my annual Google search for The Bucks County Playhouse I was confused when the familiar website did not present itself.  Minutes later, I was saddened to learned that the playhouse permanently closed its doors last December with A Christmas Carol being its last performance.

I first saw the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show when I was 13-years-old and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the movie and show is part of who I am.  Soon after falling in lust with the movie, I learned that there was an annual live show close to my house.

When I was 14, I started going to New Hope's Bucks County Playhouse once a year with my friends to embrace a nuttier side of ourselves that we don't often get to unleash.  This is the first place I learned that it's okay to be "this way".  Not only is it okay, it's really fun and awesome!  Over the years (11 of them now!), I have piled more and more favorites to my gay-culture-obsessed-mountain.

This isn't to say that the atmosphere "encouraged" me to be gay or it "rubbed off" on me, but I do think that there are large parts of myself I would have ignored and denied if I hadn't learned at a young age, being yourself isn't a sin, it's a stage, and it's a stone many people never step on.  Statistics tell us that homosexuality is a one-in-ten occurrence.  I think as time passes, and more and more people give others the courage to come out, we will find that the percentage is higher than people first predicted.  When it comes to this time, hopefully, we will all be able to embrace all the colors of life.

I think what appeals to me most about the LGBT community is, being lesbian/gay/bi/transgender is one of the quickest ways for other people to judge others harshly (in some cases, very harshly) and they don't care.  Well, saying they don't care isn't entirely true and it downplays their bravery.  It's not necessarily that they don't care, but they do it anyway.  And that takes serious courage.   

Me as a drag queen.

I've lacked this kind of courage for years.  Being as I'm bisexual and I've had a boyfriend since admitting the fact to myself and very few others, I haven't really felt the same need to come out as others may have.  I've been afraid of being judged.  I've been afraid that the few girl friends I've had/have would mistake any friendliness for something more and run away in horror or gossip to others with a falsely inflated ego.  Writing down these fears makes them seem all the more stupid.  Who cares?  The people I really enjoy the company know I don't like like them.  And the people whose judgement I'm fearing will get over it and still love me.

When I started writing this, this was just going to be about going to see Rocky Horror with my friends throughout the years!  Well, now this entry is about me being bisexual.  Happy LGBT History Month, everybody!