Small Town Boy

It’s no secret that I love hitting the dance floor. Whether it be my latest obsession interest in line dance, 15^th century Italian balli, waltzing, or completely modern free-form “thumpa-thumpa”, I have an absolute ball getting out on the floor and shakin’ it. This past Friday night, in fact, found me once again out on the dancefloor havin’ a blast listening to the random mix at Bearracuda.

 

There’s something so very random about circuit parties like Bearracuda. Smaller than the more grandiose and somewhat dubious white parties, they focus more on the bear community and upon just havin’ a great ol’ time. Yet, you never know what you’re gonna get depending on the mood and artistic angst of the DJ. (ARTISTS! Such prima donnas!) Well, fortunately for me and my guys, this particular DJ catered to the older-crowd that is, well, moi and those of my generation. Interspersed with modern music such as the 3 K’s (Ke$ha, Katy and Kylie), we would occasionally be treated to an unexpected flashback to the 80’s. And one song in particular brought about a somewhat bittersweet smile.

 

The year was 1984. I had just turned 16. We all chuckled at the thought of George Orwell’s vision – how far off he had been about some things, and how dangerously spot-on he was on others. The world held its chilly breath in the face of the cold war. And a brand new music group was making its debut with the unique and haunting falsetto of Jimmy Somerville. Their debut song, “Small Town Boy” brought to light not only Mr. Somerville’s unique vocal style, but a topic that had been for so long taboo in music – homosexuality. The chorus of the song was anything but subtle in its message, “Run away. Turn away. Run away. Turn away. Run awaaaaaaaaaaay.”

 

As one might surmise, “Small Town Boy” tells the story of a young and vulnerable kid growing up in a small town. As he faces the fact that he is “different”, he faces homophobia, judgment and violence. Unafraid of the stigma, Bronski Beat even produced a video that graphically portrayed the small town boy being beaten up by a group of ignorant thugs. Fortunately, the video ends on a positive note as he is accepted and taken in by a group of friends who don’t judge him for his orientation. When you think about it, there are so many lessons to take home from this depiction. While all’s well that ends well, the fact of the matter was simple – ignorance exists everywhere. And ignorance can be dangerous – even deadly. Something else happened in 1984. Mathew Shephard turned 8 years old.

 

“Run away. Turn away. Run away. Turn away. Run awaaaaaaaaaaay.”

 

Hearing that song again, one that I have not heard in such a long time, somewhat bridged a gap. Back in 1984, I was such a timid and scared kid, the thought of sexuality in ANY form terrified me. I have no doubt in my mind that some of my classmates probably thought I was gay – and of course they were right despite the fact that I didn’t know it myself.

 

“Run away. Turn away. Run away. Turn away. Run awaaaaaaaaaaay.”

 

Yet, in its own way there was something good about hearing this song. Here it was at a gay dance party that we were listening to the tune while having a great time being Out, Open, and Happy. And while it felt good to enjoy the nostalgia, I couldn’t help but realize that there are still so many small town boys out there – living in fear. How many reports have we read recently about teen suicides because of bullying? Oh sure, now it is finally making the headlines. But what people don’t seem to realize is that this is nothing new. How many gay teens have ended their lives because of fear – fear of being humiliated, fear of being cast out, fear of being beaten up or worse? Frankly, we just don’t have accurate statistics because so many have been swept under the carpet.

 

“Run away. Turn away. Run away. Turn away. Run awaaaaaaaaaaay.”

 

Small Town Boy is not a dated message from the past. It is very much a message for today, and sadly an anthem for the Mathew Shephards of the world. Yet, no warning in the world can save a victim of ignorance. It didn’t save Mathew. Only education can help. Only if we teach each other to be tolerant of people who are different can we truly make a difference. Only when we accept the fact that prejudice is simply NOT acceptable can we move forward as a society. Only then will the message of this song be simply a thing of the past. Otherwise, what is there to do?

 

“Run away. Turn away. Run away. Turn away. Run awaaaaaaaaaaay.”