between "green thread"/and "broccoli" you find/that you have pencilled "sunlight"

[kaberett]

(The Word, Tony Hoagland.)

This morning I have been Making A Contribution To Medical Science, and consequently I have a plaster with a dinosaur on it. The ?nurse was very apologetic about it being paediatrics plasters, until I went DOES IT HAVE A DINOSAUR ON, at which point we were excitable at each other about Sophie the stegosaurus. As we were getting to finishing up paperwork, having spotted the quearring also, I tentatively enquired as to whether I might ask an intrusively personal question. "... yes," he said, warily. "You've been very carefully saying partner..." I said, and he ducked his head and looked at his ring and said "yeah, husband, we've been together for ten years and married for five", and then we had a cheerful little discussion about queers and how his husband's one of very few male midwives in the country, and they've just bought a house together and are looking forward to the long weekend, and CATS and PAINTING THE HALLWAY and in general domestic bliss, and it was lovely.

And I am updating you all on this from Homerton College Cambridge Cambs, where I am sat in the sunshine in a scented garden next to a sundial and a water feature gently applying desensitisation therapy and leeching eduroam, and when I am done I shall pack up my computer and head over the railway bridge to have lunch with my mum.

Comments

[tim]

Male midwives! What a great story.

[kaberett]

The way he did the head-duck, and how much he was willing to happily tell me about his husband after... really made it feel like he was just astonishingly grateful to get to talk openly and happily about his relationship with a patient/volunteer/whatever knowing that a complaint wouldn't be made about it (because I flagged very clearly that I'm also a queermo, immediately after asking). Just... it always makes me a little sad to recognise that relief in other folk.

[tim]

Having just heard a horrible story about a friend of mine who's a medical professional and a queermo getting accused of something awful solely because he was out... yeah. :/ It's great when a connection happens anyway despite the (well-justified) fear.

[woops, posted this from wrong journal the first time \o/]