Alicia Abbott

So he would often write down conversations we had and things.

And I think I was with my father in Nebraska.

and visiting my grandparents, his parents in Nebraska.

And I turned to my grandfather and asked him, what does it mean to be gay?

And my grandfather said, oh, that means to be happy.

And I said, that's not what my dad says.

And, you know, of course, my dad thought that was very funny.

So I was very curious about it.

But, you know, I do recall also my father writing in his journal that at one point as he was getting ready for a date,

I said to him, I don't understand why you have to like boys.

You know, why can't you like girls?

When I grow up, I'm going to like boys.

And I think in that, you know, at that point I was watching a lot of television, like Happy Days and stuff.

And, you know, I wanted to take part in this movement.

you know, ritualization of romance that was boy-girl.

It wasn't boy-boy.

It wasn't girl-girl.

It was boy-girl.

And I, you know, I also had a very strong longing for a mother.

And so I think I had a fantasy that if my father had a girlfriend, that I might get a mother.