Not much time these days for blogging. But, I've been skimming through the blogosphere on the Foley scandal. There is a major vote on a referendum regarding a constitutional amendment to ban civil unions and marriage in my home state... I'm worried that canvassers will get stuck explaining over and over again that the issue isn't that Foley is gay - it's that he abused his position of power!
I'm glad Foley got caught. I hope the young men he harassed get help and support. As I prepare to preach on "Love and Sex... and Civil Rights," I was reminded of a book I read. It's a collection of short stories about teens/young adults and coming out entitled "Am I Blue?" The title story has a young man rescued from a beating by his fairy godfather, who offers him three wishes. After a long discussion over coffee with the fairy godfather ("I didn't really want to be a guardian angel. I spent most of my life being called a fairy, now that I'm dead I decided I wanted to be one!"), the main character wishes for everyone who has any homosexual inclination to turn blue - for 24 hours. An exclusive orientation = dark blue, just a little = the merest hint of blue tint. It's a great story, but a superb writer of children's/young adult fiction (Bruce Coville).
I guess Foley is blue, now. It does make me wonder how many other teens have been victimized by such men in power. And it makes me sad, for such a waste - if only Foley hadn't been forced by circumstances to remain in the closet, would his life have been different?
