I had my mum staying with me for a week recently, because my dad had to come to the city for surgery.  Now, my parents live in London; a city that prides itself on its medical community.  So, you can imagine how serious Dad’s operation was if he had to have it done here.  I thought Mum and I would be pretty stressed by week’s end and that we would deserve a night on the town.  Of course, Church Street is one of my favourite neighbourhoods.  It was only natural that Mum and I would hit the village.  If I was going to take my mother to the epicenter of all things queer, I wanted her experience to be as campy and as queer as possible.  We had to go to Zelda’s on the Friday night to watch Miss Conception and GGT’s own Heroine Marks.

It was a date and Mum seemed cautiously excited.  The week went by very smoothly and the big day arrived.  That was when the doubts started running through my mind.  “Zelda’s?” I thought “I’m taking Mum, who has never been in the village and who has had practically no exposure to queer culture, to Zelda’s? Talk about plunging her in head first.”  Nonetheless, she said she was game and we headed east along College Street.  One of the weirdest moments of the night was just turning on to Church.  It was a bit like having your mum in your tree house as a kid (I guess it’s something I have to get used to, if I’m going to move to the village).  To make a long story short, we had a great time.  Miss C. gave us a shout out and Mum was in hysterics all night.  It was definitely a mother-son moment.

I don’t think either of my parents really knew what to do when I came out.  Although I never was the butchest linebacker in the locker room, I did have a girlfriend throughout high school.  Mum and I talked a few years later and she said one of her worries was that being queer was yet another reason why I would face discrimination.  People with disabilities face heaps of bigotry and we all know how terrible homophobia can be.  I know my parents were never disgusted that I was queer, just worried about the implications.  I thought about this as Mum and I were walking home.  I don’t think she worries anymore.