Reply re: Your Blue Feather Concerns

[Nathan Jones]

Greetings friends,

A small taste of what it's like to be gay in the Current Middle Ages:
  
*****

A male fighter gets off the field and he notices a beautiful woman who has been 
watching the list.  She notices him notice her and gives him an encougageing 
smile.  Later that day, he chances by, clean, sweet smelling and in his best 
tunic.  They spend the afternoon engaged in conversation.  Night falls and the 
feasting and revelry begin.  He gets bold and, during feast, sings a love song 
and bashfully dedicates it to her.  During feast, they sit next to each other, 
holding hands and occasionally feeding each other bits of food.  After feast, 
they dance the night away.  All are charmed by their behavior.

*****
Now envision what that day would be like with a lesbian/gay theme.

A male fighter gets off the field and he notices a handsome man who has been 
watching the list.  He sees that said handsome man happens to be wearing a blue 
feather pinned to his doublet with a red ribbon pin.  Handsome man notices 
fighter notice him and gives a vague, noncommital smile in return.  Later that 
day, the figher chances by, clean, sweet smelling and in his best tunic, with a 
blue feather pinned to it.  They spend the afternoon engaged in conversation.  
Night falls and the revelry begins.  The fighter gets bold and, during feast, 
sings a love song, glancing at his new friend to let him know who the song is 
for.  During feast they sit next to each other and, cautiously, clasp hands under 
the table, being careful not to attract attention.  After feast, they watch the 
dancing, or perhaps dance with female friends of theirs, wishing they could dance 
with each other.  They retire to their camp for privacy so that they can speak 
frankly to each other without having to wonder who might be listening. 

*****

The second scenario is a fantasy.  I have been in the SCA for five years and have 
met one (1) other eligible gay man at an event and he wasn't my type!  *sigh*  
Now, I've met lots of gay/lesbian/bi people, but the dating prospects are kinda 
slim.  *grin*  While I don't think we need a formal guild for Bluefeather in 
Ansteorra, I like the fact that it exists.  I love the fact that there is the 
Blue Ball at Pennzic.  I think it would be neat to have something similar at Gulf 
War.  My hope is to eventually find a partner/lover/husband who is in the SCA or 
is SCA-compatible.  So I'm in favor of any chance to get together and socialize 
in a comfortable setting with other gay/lesbian/bi SCA folk.  All this I say as 
the mundane, Nathan.  Gio is currently looking to get married to a nice 
Florentine woman of a good family!

My being gay has absolutly nothing to do with how I play the SCA, but it affects 
me every day of my life.  And that, BTW, has nothing to do with what I do in the 
bedroom, which is none of your business.  *grin*

Gio,
currently living in a teeny, tiny town near Northkeep.