I'm sharing licorice and a one-straw-two-people-soda with Nate at a movie the other night. I'm not going to lie, it's a romantic-comedy. I'm not going to lie, it's opening night. I'm not going to lie, I have the best boyfriend who will humor my chick-flick desires(while secretly he admits loving them too). When out of nowhere Nate says: Where our people at? He says it just like that because he's cute and even though he's from a small town in Ohio, he likes to sound like he grew up in the city. Anyway, I'm like: What people? And he's like: Our people? And with that he means "gay people".

So I scan the room and he's right. There are groups of girls sharing a big bag of popcorn and there are guys with girls and husbands with wives, but no guys sitting right next to guys. It's a scenario I never really get used to. I mean, I'm not much of a "hood" guy. With that I mean "gay neighborhood". Chicago is all super great with it's 'Gay'borhood. You can go to bars to feel safe and eat at restaurants without feeling like your being ogled by others. But there's a whole big city out there and I'm not going to restrain to a neighborhood just because it's 'friendly'. Some people do this. Not me.

For whatever reason I start to get hyper nervous about being the only gay couple in the room. I'm not usually like this, you know? But when it kicks in, it really kicks in. I start getting all high-horse-like. I start getting all political. I start preaching in my head. I get on my imaginary soapbox (a tall one because I'm short): "I just want to go places without thinking someone's going to say something!" I pretend to scream. "I don't even want to think twice this stuff anymore!" I imagine yelping. "I! Just! Want ! To! Feel! Safe! With! THE! GUY! I! LOVE!"

Then, without speaking, Nate takes my hand and holds it.