Realizing our shared sexual orientation through the datingĪpp Grindr. Latino man, invested heavily in communities of color, but Nonstop on Facebook since Sunday morning. Now? Do we know who the victims are? Who was theĬhristian, an acquaintance from the gym, has been posting Moment of tragedy, I need to do something. The gym is a space for me to feel productive, and in the It’s Monday and I drag myself out of bed to go to the gym. It wouldn’t be till later in the day on Sunday that I would “We Must Remember That the Orlando Shooting Happened At It won’t be until later the next day that Mina Justice will What words will be stored on a phone, causing cascades of tears? How can I comfort her when I see my
I’m re-enacting visions of myįinal moments. Those could be your last words? How do I say goodbye? Would I do if it were me? What do you say when you know This could be my conversation.ĭid I just have that conversation with my mother? What Those are the last words, the last contact, she will ever have. After the morning texts, I can’t helpīut open it. A mother reveals the potentiallyįinal texts from her son. Worry that if I actually click on the headline, actually readĪnd then I come across it. I can’t seem to stop crying randomlyĪs the story unfolds, names are revealed, pictures, people. I’m just looking at the headlines-so many headlines. “And you’re doing the best you can and we know it.”įacebook becomes a refuge. Shaun: “There’s not much else you can do.”
Of what it would be like to someday be a parent and be helpless. That their child was gay when they were small.Ĭhildren are all different.
“I could never understand how all mothers did not know Love my children with my whole heart and soul. Mom: “And what is it that I can do? All I know is I can “We can only focus on the present and what we can do “The world is a dangerous place, even if we weren’t gay. Edmonds, Department of Kinesiology, University of Maryland,Ĥ200 Valley Drive, Suite 2242 College Park, MD 20742-2611, USA.įeel the hurt in her voice through the text translation. University of Maryland, College Park, USA Often the messages come out fine, but I can Relied on the speech to text function to keep in contact with As her eyesight has diminished, and texting has become more prevalent, she has I stumble to the bathroom and look in the mirror,Īnd the image that looks back is puffy, blotchy red, and liquidy. I’m overwhelmed with emotion, tearsįorming, and heart pounding. Me time to process, to think before responding. The phone provides a thin barrier between worlds, giving Labeled gay “It’s Raining Men,” “Born This Way,” and ofĬourse anything by ABBA. Money in the juke box, playing every song that could be Spirit of pride, I decided to spend an obscene amount of View associated with the slogan had riled me up. Supporter at the bar, wearing his “Make America GreatĪgain” hat, and how the inherently revisionist and myopic Perhaps I posted something on Facebook thatĬaught her attention? I remember posting about the Trump Not that my mom doesn’t randomly text that I prop myself up on one arm,įeeling the wave of mild nausea hit. I’m still in a haze from the nightīefore instead of attending the local pride festivities, Iĭecided to hit a local bar. I roll over in bedĪnd squint as the sunlight crashes into the bedroom through “Orlando Massacre: Son’s Heartbreaking Texts Reveal Final I scroll through stories and start to learn. Gay, social media, autoethnography, violence In the fears, desires, and frustrations of my lived experience. As a performative work told in three(ish) acts, I contextualize these conversations The days following the massacre, I reflect on the ways that virtual and nonvirtual communication intra-acted to produce and Through autoethnographic exploration of three distinct text-based digital conversations in White male living hundreds of miles from the horrific events, I was intimately connected with the aftermath through social The massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, impacted the lives of queer people across the world.