Mystery LJer

[vaneramos]

It was Pride Day 1998. I thought he was the hottest man in the whole parade. He won't be a mystery to many of the Toronto LJers, but I saw him around a few times over the years and never knew who he was until we met in person through djjo and bitterlawngnome last Hallowe'en. I still don't know him very well, but get good vibes from this man. The package clearly includes a mind and a heart.

Yes, I have a weakness for a handsome face, dark hair and beard.

This turned up with a lot of other interesting old photos last week. I guessed it was 1998, and he confirmed that. He says he was not quite 21 and had just moved to Toronto for the second time.

We had a sprinkle of rain on the parade, but the day was so hot nobody minded.

I was 34 and struggling through the on-again, off-again disintegration of my first serious gay relationship. It was my third Pride and my partner Dan's second. A reporter from CITY-TV approached the barricade and asked me a question, but predictably I stammered my answer. Dan leaned to the microphone and spilled a stream of enthusiasms about how wonderful it felt to express one's self freely. We were both recovering evangelicals and ought to know. His part of the interview appeared on the news that night, outing him to many co-workers and relatives. Dan was subtle, and enjoyed shocking people that way.