I see an eternal truth wordlessly expressed in Toast and The Long Day Closes. Eternal truths are the hardest to believe.
You the young boy need not be afraid to gaze upon a beautiful man beyond your reason. You don’t know why you need to look, but nothing makes you happier. There is no why. As you learn the world around you and its fears become yours, you feel bashful and ashamed. You stop before you drink in the man before you.
But go right ahead. He doesn’t know or care – or he’s just open to you and your happiness. You can’t imagine how, but he is. He’s happy that you’re happy.
As you grow up, learn that if you expect men to accept you they will. Even if they know how happy they make you. The loveliest men are the ones who can accept the most. They’ve got nothing to lose. They can afford it. You can too.
It takes a lifetime to learn this lesson and you might not get there. It’s hard to believe you could be safe with your own kind, even among princes. But who else can you be safe with? Whatever else we need, we need men.