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Chapter 10
Wear Jeans if you're Gay Day, and Jeremy's Going Away Party

I decided I was now comfortable enough with my sexuality to start the process of "coming out". The first thing to do was to inform my friends and housemates. That was easy as the intellectual environment that we lived in was very accepting, and they pretty much already knew by now. I was just confirming their suspicions. Alterum was planning a gay awareness day and they made flyers to post around campus with the tag-line "Wear Jeans if you're Gay Day." It caused the anticipated upheaval at the university, but most noticeably from the student body, not the faculty or administration. It fell to Jeremy to announce the event at honors seminar that week. It was a tough thing for him, for although all of his friends knew, Jeremy had never publicly announced his sexual preference. When Dr. Pat called on Jeremy for a "special announcement" I could tell he was nervous. He had been sitting there scratching his thumbs with a neighboring finger, a nervous trait he often manifested by the ragged looks of his thumb cuticles. The announcement came and went without any harsh recoil; we were after all, the cream of the university.

When that day finally came, Friday April 14, 1978, all of the fraternities in the Greek system made it a mandatory suit and tie day for their members. Dr. Pat was a towering personality, even though she was only average in height. She was also full figured enough that her wardrobe was usually comfortable dresses. Dr. Pat handmade a huge button, which she wore for a few days, that said "I don't own any jeans, but I support Gay Rights". Further proof that my adoration of her was not misplaced.

Two weeks before Jeremy moved to Virginia, we had a combined "house warming party" for us, and a "going away party" for him at our new home. Lots of friends came, and I even invited my mom. She came to meet most of the new friends that I had been telling her about. We all had a great time. My mom left early, it was after all a LONG drive to the university -- 30 miles. In rural Louisiana that WAS a long drive. She might have even packed a snack to eat along the way in case she got hungry. When only the college kids were left, we relaxed our parental on-guard, and took up some drinking and partying. Jeremy got sloshing drunk. The party had dwindled down to just a few of us when Jeremy abruptly, and drunkenly, announced that he was too intoxicated to go to his own house, and would be spending the night here. He told everyone good night, and walked down the hallway to the bedroom areas, and turned left INTO MY ROOM! Well my curiosity was REALLY aroused (as well as other parts of my anatomy.) I decided that it was my bedtime too. I entered my now dark room, took my clothes off, and nervously and excitedly slipped under the covers next to Jeremy. At first we didn't have any body contact, but after a bit of normal tossing and turning (perhaps on purpose,) we were innocently touching. Innocence gave way to tentative caresses, which then gave way to purposeful passion. Jeremy was my second homosexual partner. It was a beautiful evening for me, and the first time I had allowed someone to spend the entire evening in my bed, falling asleep in each other's arms. Jeremy later said his motivation that evening was to get back at Brian, by depriving him of access to me for at least that night, but the magic had happened. We were inseparable for the remaining two weeks Jeremy had to stay in Louisiana.

Jeremy had already gotten out of his apartment lease, and was living with Scott and Mike for the remaining two weeks. I stayed with him for those weeks, and frankly I don't remember ever leaving bed during that time. We explored every part of each other, and everything was new and exciting for me. I never wanted it to end. The day of Jeremy's solitary departure arrived, and we all saw him off. Sarah and I promised to drive up and visit him that coming summer, to see how he was doing. I was overwhelmed by his now familiar touch as we tearfully embraced and kissed. I promised to send him letters and cards as often as I could, and I sadly watched him drive out of my life.

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