the roots of homophobia – 1

1956

The three boys were laying head to head in the sun and on the hot concrete – belly down – none of them over thirteen. The changing room was shaped like a quadrangle, a courtyard, and in the shade of the edges a couple of men stood watching, murmuring amongst themselves, in conversation.

Three men.

They all had towels wrapped around their waists and they fidgeted and tugged inside the folds as they watched the boys moving around – lithe young boys wearing swimming briefs. Once or twice we looked over at them, wondering why the interest, and they smiled at us.

Two of the men ejaculated onto the ground, and they left their sterile squirm to wriggle and die in the heat of a summer sun.