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A prisoner of your love
Entangled in your web
Hot whispers in the night
I'm captured by your spell
Oh yes I'm touched by this show of emotion
Should I be fractured by your lack of devotion
Should I, should I

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Tina Turner - Better Be Good To Me (Official Music Video) [HD Upgrade]

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"Does liking this song make me gay?"
The song at issue is Tina Turner's ´Better Be Good to Me.´
"Yes, D," [...] "Liking this song makes you gay. Very, very gay."

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My roommate's name is DePaul Adams. His family controls the entire U.S. shipping industry.
Give him an excuse; he'll drop a tab of acid.
He's also my best friend.

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LSD is a psychedelic drug that is commonly referred to as acid. This is one of the most common hallucinogens and has been widely abused since the early 1950s when it was thought that LSD may have beneficial uses in the clinical field. This psychedelic drug is also known as a hit, dose, microdot or sugar cube on the streets referring to the various methods of which the liquid form of the drug is placed on elements for consumption.

What is LSD?

LSD is a drug that is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye plants. When the fungus is chemically compounded and manufactured it is made into lysergic acid which can produce a powerful euphoric effect which includes both a body high and a mind high.

LSD is odorless and colorless which means that it can be placed on just about any food or drink or anywhere to be consumed. It is often placed on heavy paper with a distinct image on the paper. The paper is called blotter paper and it is absorbent. When divided into pieces and sold individual as "hits" LSD is often named for the type of paper that it is on.

LSD Effects

No matter how LSD is taken, whether it's placed on paper and swallowed or dropped into a drink or absorbed through the skin the powerful effects are quite similar. Some users will drip LSD into the eyes in hopes of creating a strong effect and producing more hallucinations but there is no scientific evidence to support this nor is there evidence that suggests such a practice is safe for the user's eyes.

The effects of LSD, like other psychedelic drugs, are unpredictable and dangerous. The effects that a user will experience depend on the individual user, the amount of LSD that was taken, the surroundings of the user while under the influence and the mindset of the user when he or she takes the drug.

Physical effects of LSD include:

increased blood pressure

fever

dry mouth

insomnia

dilated pupils

rapid heart rate

appetite suppression

sweating

heightened paranoia or anxiety

elevated mood

hallucinations both auditory and visual

sensory overload

Most of the effects of LSD will wear off after a few hours of taking the drug but if a user takes LSD repeatedly or for a prolonged period of time the effects of the drug may persist of stick around even when the drug is not being used. Some people report seeing "trails" or visual lines that extend when colors are moved even after they have stopped using LSD. Flashbacks are also a common outcome when LSD has been used repeatedly. A flashback occurs when a user experiences a similar situation in which they experienced while under the influence of LSD in the past. Flashbacks can occur a few days, weeks or even years after the last use of LSD.

Although LSD is not considered an addictive substance it can lead to some mental instability problems. Most people who take LSD will not repeatedly take the drug due to the rapid increase in tolerance that develops with each subsequent use of the drug. Generally speaking, LSD will not lead to addictive behavior such as drug seeking or adverse reactions when the drug is not being used.

Dangers of LSD Use

Unfortunately, using LSD can have an adverse effect if you are not careful. Because there are no regulations on the drug that can pinpoint the amount of LSD that is being consumed with each dose, there is no way to regulate how it will affect you if taken. Likewise, the unpredictable nature of the high associated with LSD use makes it difficult to know how you will react from one use to the next. Even people who have taken LSD many times in the past are likely to suffer from adverse effects of the high in certain situations which cannot openly be determined upfront.

Like other psychedelic drugs, LSD also has a risk of causing underlying mental instabilities to come to the surface and cause problems for the user. People who already suffer from anxiety or schizophrenia are likely to experience heightened effects associated with these mental illnesses if they use LSD. For some, there is no underlying evidence of the mental instability until the drug is used and symptoms later come out as a result of the drug use-this is where the greater danger tends to come into play.

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LSD is a psychedelic drug that is commonly referred to as acid. This is one of the most common hallucinogens and has been widely abused since the early 1950s when it was thought that LSD may have beneficial uses in the clinical field.

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"The chicks will be here soon"
I am depressed because DePaul is happier than me and he always will be, even without the LSD.
He is going to Princeton in the fall, whereas I am going to NYU.
DePaul owns his tuxedo, I rented mine. My parents are not billionaires.
I want to have fun. But I can't. I have a secret. I've never even hinted at it. I came close to whispering it [...], late at night, [...] but I stopped myself. Like I'm doing with DePaul right now

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“The chicks,” DePaul whispers to his desk lamp.

Every item of clothing suffocates me in some way, down to the rented black shoes and socks.

I shuffle over to our door and open it. The chicks are indeed here. DePaul’s girlfriend and mine.

Marci smiles straight at the zit on my nose and says, “Hey, handsome!”

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I am an asshole.
I am in love with my best friend's girlfriend.
Rebecca and Marci are also roommates. And best friends.
It's empathy. It's feeling.
For how she laughs so hard that she loses herself.
Sneaking out has never come up among us. DePaul won't make a move. He seems as bored with Rebecca as I am with Marci.
I am a virgin.

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VI: Oh yes I'm touched by this show of emotion

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VI: Oh yes I'm touched by this show of emotion

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"I said , hey, handsome," Marci repeats.
I force a smile.
My eyes meet Rebecca's for a moment.
If I break up with Marci, I will in all likelihood wind up on Rebecca’s shit list - a place I refuse to be.

She’s pissed because now she’s going to NYU.

Suddenly, I am ecstatic that I didn’t get into Princeton.

“So, D, how do I look?” Rebecca pipes up. “Zack just complimented his girlfriend.”

“You’re shimmering?” he offers with a shrug.

“That’s sweet, D. Much appreciated. Just try to keep it together tonight, all right? The sixties are over.”

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FIRST KISS PROM NIGHT?!! 2017, FUNKEE BUNCH IN LOVE!!

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VII: Should I be frightened by your lack of devotion?

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VII: Should I be frightened by your lack of devotion?

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After a clumsy presentation of corsages, the four of us head to the dining hall.
Marci was on the Spring Ball decorations committee, and it shows.
This is not a prom. This is Dorchester’s Spring Ball. This is a fraud.

“This place feels amazing. It’s vibrating. It doesn’t even feel like the dining hall. It feels like a… prom.”

“We should all get up and dance as soon as ―”

“OH MY GOD!” Marci shrieks. “I love this song! (...)” She casts a sidelong glance at me and starts to fidget in time to the music.

I turn away from Marci. I can’t help it. I am that big an asshole.

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Discover & share this Prom GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

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“Dig Marci’s hoop earrings. Chicks who wear earrings like that… it’s a sign. They’re saying they want to get freaky. That’s why I should bang her.”

“You want to bang my girlfriend because of her hoop earrings?”

“It’s obvious you don’t want to bang her.”

“when Marci and Rebecca first came in tonight, you looked Rebecca from the bottom up. But you looked Marci from the top down ―”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“How did you and Marci get together anyway? I mean, really.”

“(...) she let me know she had a crush on me… I was just flattered.”

“Very romantic, (...) I sit closer to you than Marci does. I sat closer to you yesterday.”

“But you’re going out with DePaul,”

Rebecca doesn’t respond.

“You should either break up with Marci this second, or go out there and cut in on that dance. Because Marci wants something to happen with you tonight.”

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And so the story begins: I had been dating this one boy since my sophomore year and we decided to go to our senior prom. My friends and I had planned this huge dinner together, making it a triple date. The dress: what every girl looks forward to. The best part about shopping: the $9.97 dress I found at JC Penney.

He decided that he wanted an all white suit and of course, me in my red nine dollar dress. In the end neither of my friends showed up, so the two of us had dinner in Chico at a Chinese restaurant; you can never go wrong with Chinese food. The actual dance was okay, almost what a normal school dance would be only fancier. We left Prom because he wanted to go to a house party and as soon as we got there I decided house parties were not for me. The night ended with a chicken sandwich from Jack in the Box.

The big surprise came weeks later when I found out that he had been cheating on me with another girl--apparently "my friend." As part of my revenge I took our Prom picture, tore them apart and destroyed the evidence, or so I thought. Days later my mom found a piece of one of the pictures I had torn and she told me "hey your ex-boyfriend's feet were just lying around." And so maybe that is why I do not have such a vivid memory of my 2004 Senior Prom at CUHS.

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And so the story begins: I had been dating this one boy since my sophomore year and we decided to go to our senior prom. My friends and I had planned this huge dinner together, making it a triple date. The dress: what every girl looks forward to.

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Everything freezes. I stop breathing.
"Something to happen? Like what?"
"I just wish DePaul wanted somthing to happen tonight, too. I'm psyched to go to NYU. You're gonna be there."
"Can I ask you something now?"
"Of course"
"What is it that you like about Marci? I mean, why are you guys best friends?"
"That's not a very nice thing to ask about your girlfriend."
"I'm in the mood to be honest."
“What are you thinking?”, Rebecca asks.

“That I’m happy Marci seems to be having fun right now,” (...) “And that I want to get out of here.

“Hey, I’ll come with you if you want. I don’t really feel like hanging out here, either.”

“That leaves the question of Marci, though.”

I jump out of my chair and hurry across the dance floor.

“Marci, I’m sorry I’ve been such an asshole to you,” I confess. “I really am.”
"I want to have fun tonight.I've put too much time and energy into this night not to have fun."

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Rebecca tries to console me on the walk by to my dorm.
Rebecca and I [...] open DePaul's
The whole time I'm wondering ´Did Rebecca just agree to come back here because she wants to hook up?´
Rebecca and I open DePaul's desk.
Our eyes come to rest upon the sole contents of DePaul's drawer: an unsealed envelope with Rebecca's name on it.
She opens the envelope as delicately as she can.
´Dear Rebecca,
How to phrase this? [...] I am........shit, this is harder than I thought!
There's something neither of you knows.
When I said it to myself it felt really good.
I think I may be gay.
Nothing would make me happier than you and Zack.
He's just as into you as you are into him.
I love you Rebecca. And I love Zack, too. I'm on your side, both of your sides!
I don't want to lose you. Or Zack. I don't even know if I'm going to give you this letter.
Love, DePaul´
"So, he is gay [...] I thought he was...happy"
"You can't be both?"
"At this school?"
"What bothers me is that he didn't tell me. Why didn't he?"
"He was worried you'd get dreaked out"
She kisses me once, very softly, on the lips.
"You can take your tuxedo off. Tonight can still be amazing. I want it to be amazing. Don't you? It's the Spring Ball."
I know we're done with conversation for the evening. My heart is thumping too hard to do anything but let Rebecca take control.
I can be honest. DePaul is on our side.

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There's nothing physically pleasant about climbing Mount Everest. As you get to the top, your body is depleted of oxygen. You become nauseous, dizzy, irritable, and lose your appetite. Quite simply, you can die from exhaustion... and many have.

As a questioning teen in the 80's, coming out seemed like an impossible mountain to climb. The Mount Everest of my life. There it was, standing before me. Yet, I didn't even have even a clue as how to get there. I didn't know who had climbed it before me or how they made it to the top. I didn't even know what was on the other side. For all I knew, it was a dark abyss of sadness and hate. All I knew was that is was going to be a very unpleasant experience because that's what I was told. I was surrounded by a culture... movies, media, education, and social norms, that told me I was to fit into a convenient label that made others comfortable.

Being gay in the 80s meant being isolated from an identity. There was no discussion of homosexuality in school... not even in our year long "Health and Sexuality" class, even though we were in the middle of the AIDS crisis. In U.S. history, there was no mention of the fight for basic human rights that the LGBT community endured over 20 years before. There was no discussion of Harvey Milk or the Stonewall riots. There was no acknowledgement that Alexander the Great, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo, were among the many positive gay historical role models. On TV each night, there were no gay characters except for the occasional flamboyant game show regular on Hollywood Squares. TV sitcoms were even worse, with the "we're straight guys playing gay" characters sashaying across the screen. I remember watching Jack Tripper on "Three's Company" pretend to effeminately swish when his landlord inexplicably barged into the apartment he was... gasp... sharing with two women.

What I observed was that no men ever hugged, or held hands, or kissed on TV. The censor's would never have allowed that. Even if they had, the individual stations and their viewers would have revolted. That would have amounted to instant cancellation of the show, boycotts and lot's of lost advertising revenue! Yet, as long as the gay was treated as a stereotypical joke, no one cared. It was okay to make fun and laugh at their expense.

Worse yet, in the 80's no one talked about actually being gay. Of course, there were rumors about others ― whispers here and there about a few of my classmates. One was picked on relentlessly for his "gay-sounding" voice, lack of sports abilities, and unwillingness to stand up to his bullies. Another was a Greek God of virility that used his powers of beauty and muscle to enchant both the guys and the girls... safely leveraging the convenient truth that most of his peers wouldn't be able to associate masculinity with homosexuality.

Preferring art, music and writing my entire life, I placed myself into the witty class clown with a heart category. My goal: to always throw out a one-liner faster than the people around me and make them laugh. I guess I took on the Jack Tripper role that people seemed to enjoy. It seemed that I was endlessly striving to make a few moments of connection with others.

Each and every day, my mind worked frantically to try to fit in and act straight. It was exhausting.

I internalized the teachings of the 80s... the stereotypes of who is gay and what that meant."

No teenager wants to be separated from their comfort zone. Those times are already so baffling. Love, school, college―life in general―are so confusing that adding gay to the mix seems unimaginable. To see high school sweethearts walking the hallway hand-in-hand and know that their normal will never be applicable to you is disheartening. That they would never know the fear of public displays of affection that they so nonchalantly took for granted. Most teenagers can simply like someone and hope they like them back. Being gay in the 80s meant futilely searching for well hidden clues that say "we're on the same team," as well. Just searching for a sign... a smile... a wink... even one of those head nods that the cool guys did as we passed in the hallway.

Before coming out, you try to make meaning out of everything. Every comment. Every movement. Every look someone throws your way. I was so focused on it that I started to create a list in my head of the positive and negative issues of coming out. As I got older, the negative list seemed to grow longer and longer. The longer it grew, the further I stepped back from that mountain.

I internalized the teachings of the 80s... the stereotypes of who is gay and what that meant... and it pushed me into that safe closet that numbs you and protects you. It also robs you of living a fulfilled life. It took almost two decades for me to come out of that mind trap. By that time, I had two marriages and four beautiful children trapped in that closet with me. I realized that I needed to take a look at the list again. It took 20 years to realize that it wasn't the length of the negative side that mattered anymore. All that mattered was the one thing the positive side would give me... happiness.

I stood at the bottom of the mountain, realizing that I needed to throw out everything that the 80's taught me about being gay. I needed to let go of the fear of being stereotyped like Jack Tripper on a bad TV show. I needed to re-learn history and re-write it for others. I needed to allow myself to fight for my right to walk down the hallway holding the hand of the man that I love. Unafraid and unfazed by those that used the influence of media as a convenient tool to define what was right or wrong.

In the end, I realized that I was already on that mountain and my goal was to keep climbing. It didn't matter if I never got to the top. A good life is one that allows you to keep climbing. To keep learning the trails. To keep aspiring and to inspire others to climb with you.

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As A Gay Man, The '80s Crippled My Identity

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There's nothing physically pleasant about climbing Mount Everest. As you get to the top, your body is depleted of oxygen. You become nauseous, dizzy, irritable, and lose your appetite. Quite simply, you can die from exhaustion... and many have. As a questioning teen in the 80's, coming out seemed like an impossible mountain to climb.