Simon says he's secretly gay. He hides himself from family and friends. Not because they'll reject him. Quite the opposite, in fact. He knows everyone will be fine with it. But the fear of changing how they look at him, of tampering with hard-won relationships that he cherishes, stops him from revealing the truth about himself.
The plight of the titular character in Love, Simon resonates with me. I've lived every day in much the same way.
Hi. I'm Rich (in name only.) And I'm gay. It's taken nearly four decades to say that out loud. Unlike Simon, my own story involves years of self-inflicted suppression. My brain invented comforting lies, saying "You're not attracted to that guy, you're just jealous." Beating myself up over these feelings became as vital as water. They seemed aberrant and wrong, and I just wanted them to go away.
They never did.
