October 1987 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Earth
The server winked as she handed Pete a brown styrofoam cup. ‘I hope you and your friend have a great day.’ She nodded to where Jim was stirring sugar into his coffee.
Pete felt his face flush at the implication. Surely she couldn’t think… ‘Um. Thanks.’ He took the cup and headed out of the shop to wait for Jim in the HUB Mall’s concourse. Windows of the university’s student accommodations looked down on him. And four storeys further up, the glass roof filled the whole space with bright sunshine.
Pete and Jim had been meeting up before English class three times a week almost since term started a month ago. Pete was thrilled to find someone with whom he had so much in common. He knew in his heart Jim would become a lifelong friend. Their connection was as strong as it had been instantaneous.
Jim emerged from the Second Cup a minute later. He wore the most ridiculous T-shirt. In giant black letters, it read ‘nobody knows I’m gay’. Pete found it hilarious. As if anyone who was actually gay would dare to wear such a thing!
The pair resumed their conversation as they walked to class.
‘A Klingon on the bridge, though,’ Jim said as they exited the mall. ‘And what’s up with those forehead ridges? Since when do Klingons look like that?’
Pete zipped his parka up and pulled his touque on. ‘It’s progress. A hundred years have passed since the previous series. Don’t you think it’s logical that civilisation would have advanced in that time?’
Jim shoved his hands into his coat pockets. ‘Yeah, I suppose. The cast is pretty good, though.’
‘Deanna’s really pretty.’ As soon as he said it, Pete started kicking himself. Why on Earth had he said something so stupid?
Jim was unfazed. ‘Oh, she’s an absolute queen!’
#
After a few minutes, they arrived at their classroom. Pete pushed open the door to find two students deep in conversation. There was still almost half an hour before class started. But the four of them all had a free period before English and so they were often early.
‘Oh, hey, you two.’ A fellow second year called Rita looked up at Pete and Jim. ‘We were making plans for Saturday night.’
Jim hugged the young woman before dropping his bag on a chair. ‘Ooh, whatcha thinking?’
Pete set his backpack down on the floor and took a seat next to Jim.
‘Flashback,’ said Mike, a student from the Philippines. ‘You two want to join us?’
‘Count me in,’ said Jim as he pulled his coat off. ‘Pete, what do you say? You game?’
Pete was thrilled to be included in this. Rita was one of the coolest people he’d ever met. And obviously he loved spending time with Jim. He couldn’t believe they were actually inviting him. ‘Yeah, sure. Of course. What is it?’
‘What is it?’ Mike looked aghast. ‘Oh, Pete! You are missing out.’
‘But don’t worry.’ Rita winked at him. ‘We’ll soon fix that.’
Jim laid a hand on Pete’s arm. ‘You’re going to love it.’
Pete felt like he was missing something important. ‘But what is it?’
‘Only the hottest gay bar in Edmonton.’ Rita flapped a hand dramatically. ‘How can you not have heard of it?’
Pete felt his stomach drop out. ‘A gay bar?’ This was a joke, right? Surely they wouldn’t. They didn’t think he would go to a gay bar – did they? His church wouldn’t like him going to a bar at all. His father really wouldn’t approve. He could square it with himself though – so long as he didn’t drink.
But a gay bar?
He couldn’t.
Everyone had gone silent. They were all staring at him.
‘A gay bar?’ His voice should not have cracked. It really shouldn’t.
‘Yeah.’ Rita crossed her arms over her chest. ‘That’s what I said. You got a problem with that?’
Pete swallowed. It was time to make a stand. He’d always known he’d face persecution for his beliefs. He just hadn’t expected it to happen at 10:30 on a random Thursday morning.
It was his duty to speak up for what he believed. ‘But it’s a sin.’
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished the Earth would swallow him whole. Homosexuality was wrong. It said so in the Bible. But it was also wrong to make people feel bad about themselves. And he knew he’d done that.
Jim stood up and bolted out of the room, leaving his coat and bag in place. He must’ve been desperate for the washroom.
Her arms still crossed over herself, Rita said, ‘Did you just say it’s a sin to be gay? Did you seriously just tell me that?’
‘No, of course not.’ Pete raised his hands. ‘It’s not a sin to be anything. God is love – he never makes mistakes.’
Mike studied him. ‘I’m confused. If you don’t mean being gay is wrong, then what did you mean?’
‘Of course it’s not a sin to be gay.’ Pete took a deep breath and composed his thoughts. ‘Everyone’s a bit gay. But—’
‘Everyone…’ Rita’s mouth hung open. ‘Is a bit—’
‘Yeah, of course.’ Pete nodded. He was on surer ground now.
Rita and Mike exchanged an inscrutable glance.
Rita made a beckoning gesture. ‘Gonna need you to unpack that a bit, buddy. If “everyone is a bit gay”, then why…’ She left the sentence hanging.
Pete took a deep breath. This was it. God was calling on him. He’d known this day would come. ‘The Bible says no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.’
‘And you,’ Mike spoke slowly, like he was choosing his words carefully, ‘took that to imply that everyone is tempted by people of the same gender?’ He made bunny ears around the relevant word.
‘Yes.’ Pete nodded, feeling more confident now that someone understood. ‘We’re all sometimes attracted to people of the same sex. It’s the devil tempting us to violate God’s commandments. It’s on us to resist that.’
‘Hang on.’ Rita opened her eyes wide as she shook her head. ‘If there was a man who genuinely liked you and wanted to be in a relationship with you’ – her voice took on an earnest tone – ‘and who you were equally attracted to…’ She left the sentence hanging again, waiting until the conversation started to feel awkward. Well, even more awkward than it already was. When Pete didn’t say anything, she continued, ‘You’d say that person was sent by the devil and that it was your Christian duty to send him packing?’
‘I, erm…’ Pete felt uncomfortably hot. ‘I mean, first of all, that hasn’t happened. It wouldn’t happen. But if it did, um.’ He swallowed. ‘It wouldn’t be as if the person was knowingly being used by the devil.’
Rita gawped at him for a few seconds, then huffed and stood up. ‘I can’t believe you. That man deserves so much better.’ After dumping her books and notebooks unceremoniously into her backpack, she snagged her parka on a single finger and headed for the door, muttering and swearing under her breath. ‘You coming, Mike?’
‘Yeah, one sec.’ Mike gathered up his own stuff. Before following Rita, he leant close to Pete. ‘Buddy, it’s not true, you know. Everyone isn’t a bit gay. If you have those feelings, you need to look deep inside.’
As Mike left the room, other students entered. Pete was left sitting by himself, wondering what on Earth just happened.
