I Lost A Friend To Gay Bashing
By amberdextrous, 26th Sep 2011 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutWritingTrue Stories
A talented friend was kicked to death in a lonely alleyway, just because he was gay.
Vale Carrot
His name was Michael but everyone called him Carrot because of his bright orange hair. He was an acrobat, a dancer and an actor, one of the most naturally-talented young people I have ever worked with. With his high-wire solo, he was a star of our first Sunset Circus season; but he wasn’t around for the second, four years later.
Carrot had all the necessary chutzpah as a performer, but he also had a quieter side. One to one, he was gentle and considerate, always first to lend a hand. He also had his private side; I didn’t find out that he was gay until he came to say goodbye on his way to Sydney.
“Do you have a job with a dance company? A theatre troupe?”
He smiled.
“Well, I’ll look for one. I’m really going for the Gay Pride Parade.”
“Oh.” I raised my eyebrows and nodded.
His freckled face cracked into a bright-eyed grin.
“You didn’t know?”
“Nope. I didn’t have a clue.”
“Really?” He laughed. “You straight guys are so thick!”
As we hugged goodbye, I had the sudden urge to turn my face and kiss his cheek. He jolted back, blushing.
“What the fuck did you do that for?”
I held up my hands.
“I’m sorry, mate. I didn’t mean to upset you. I like to kiss my friends goodbye.”
He smiled again.
“I’m really going to miss you now, Dex...”
“I’ll miss you too, Carrot.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
And I do.
Michael “Carrot” Stevens was walking with a friend in central Sydney in 1985 when they were attacked by a gang of homophobic skinheads, who chased them into a laneway. Carrot stopped, to give his friend time to escape, and the skinheads beat him to the ground and kicked him to death. He was 21 years old.
It horrifies me to contemplate that sweet, smiling boy’s last moments of life, lying terrified amongst the garbage while those boots broke half his bones and snuffed out his life. His death was gruesome enough to warrant coverage on 60 Minutes, but I couldn’t watch it.
We dedicated our second Sunset Circus season to Carrot, and to Ziggy, another member of the original cast who had also died tragically in the intervening years. The show’s success was bittersweet.
Comments
26th Sep 2011 (#)
This gave me chills to read. People are so cruel, they killed a young man who was no threat to them at all. How wrong.
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