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modern, that's slash, modern and get started today, oh from the New York Times and w you are Boston. This is modern love, the stories of love, loss and redemption. I'm your host magnet Chakrabarti yeah everyone's got their own prom night stories. I went to my high school prom without a date, and maybe this won't surprise you, but I went as the yearbook reporter complete with film camera and super dorky handmade press badge. So what about your prom night? Maybe you love

the core sizes, the rented tux, the dress? You probably never wore again, or maybe it was a total disaster, or maybe you just skipped it altogether. Well, when Frank Paiva was a senior in high school, he wrote a modern love essay about his prom experience. Or actually experiences. Emmy nominated actor, Tituss Burgess reads us Frank's essay, you may know him as It is and draw Madonna from the hit Netflix. It come unbreakable. Commitment here is reading frank private essay, a prince charming for the prom, not ever after, though Clearly I become wary of the question Frank: what do you do? next Saturday night in the month of may can only mean one thing: I'm goin to yet another problem: I know I'm not doing a favor for a cousin cousins are out. I'm this injuries answer to the last minute, prom date best friend.

by the end of June I would warn the taxi. Do I swipe from the school drama department, three or four times almost eighteen year, old guys are preparing for their one big night. more magical, evens and lands burden or David Copperfield. I'm also swimming in corsages. I went to the forces today for the second time this week, Gave me a suspicious look, she know what I'm up to after I can't be the only one who understands that gay is a new cousin. Until recently, this wasn't really the because most gay men, phone coming out until college or or later did they came out at all but now more and more young men are coming out in high school I knew I was gay in the sixth grade and came out an eighth. Originally I I plan to tell anyone until ninth grade I would enroll in a new school, but I decided,

you let people know who I really was. My decision had a traumatic aftermath. How is school, supposed to handle the coming out of an aids greater. My It also contain an elementary school and later parents for their little children worried. I suppose that I might or them or something I endured a set of excruciating meetings at school administrators during which parameter As for my behavior or discussed that, and the cruelty of my classmates left me feeling isolated scared, but I found myself mostly into girls for support, some of whom I met at summer drama camps and who attended different schools. As I see it these girls saved me and now it's my turn to save them. the

a few steps at a beautified gymnasium is a least I could do to thank these girls who me become, who I am and unlike goofy, cousin, who might I've and a ruffled powder blue tux, and tell embarrassing stories about computer camp. I'm safe choice. Night of us will blush with she'll tension when it comes time to attach corsage to bosom Make a fool of my date or myself with awkward straight boy dancing and I'll help her figure out the details, if her dress and hairstyle after all anyone committing social suicide in the beside of our tinder young lives. as a gay date. I also make one the union's most unpleasant moment to breathe. I have no problem, meaning the girls parents, a typical in point from most guys, because I know

wise and open minded. Parents are smart enough to realize that a gay guy is our daughter's best and safe prom bat. If, A worried mother of a date was daughter. I would scour the hip coffee shops of my town, waving a rainbow flag in search of recruits, might cause my daughter to die of embarrassment, but at least She would have a fabulous night out and would make me a grandmother anytime soon I think I've discovered in my brief barrage of problems is that they're all pretty much the same, there's since finality of of going out with a bang gay or not nod still, turning feeling of anticipation. As you are you're dead, siege see each other in your formal dress. For the first time, there's the poor couple wearing the absolute wrong ensemble.

there is a burned out feeling in the early morning from so much fun, packed and so little time rest, Surely the onset of horror from wondering what the preachers? look like decades? Who now is there every time as well, but sometimes our expectations get the better? Thus in the problems, real purpose is lost. It's one of the last times to be together and have fallen as a class. For everyone scatters and comes back to the reunion ten years later, balding divorced or why successful or exactly pathetically the same, whether you, love your own prom hated it miss, did only made it the parking lot or what you drunk to remember No denying it's a milestone. That only happens once or my case several times the one thing I can understand, is why my female friends who are charming, attractive and fun to be with don't have straight male suitors to a cup

and surely the school halls are fill with date. Snatching floozy is offering the one thing: no teenage guy, except the gay best. And can say no to so. I've gotta believe I see things in these girls at straight guys, can't Because with me, the element of sexual attraction was never there to begin with. Many young gay men make friends with the cool girls who fly under the radar because they don't possess conventional good. Looks we get to know these girls for the thing about than that matter summit. I want to hold up a sign that says here date, this girl, you idiot, of course, if they aren't smart enough to figure out a girls were dating, they probably aren't worthy of the girl. In the first place, Perhaps this is why certain girls and gay guys become such good friends in high school, their waiting for an environment that isn't based on popularity or gains.

atmosphere where they can thrive. While an excellent time in high school these past four years. I have to believe there is something better out there for me in years to come. I know many of my friends feel the same way: all heard famous women talk about how they were. ostracized in high school or unpopular with the boys. We later become gorgeous and desired, even though they ended up successful. They never that high school experience at the prom at one at time that can never be taken away. provide this too many future famous women even event. did it for myself as much as I like to I will not be attending my own school's prom with a guy. My Flores must know this because time like Anti, always flips pass a boot near section of her promise. Promises book This is where the case I wish

take someone with me, because guy probably my own, they involve buying expensive ingredients. At the Gore may, food storing spent the entire day making dinner with my we would enjoy the food even more knowing we put all the effort into making an ass house We walked into the dance too, initially stun people, not because we were two guys, but just because we look great when care. If I had to learn to make clothes myself, if it meant avoiding that our group, I read it, isn't it doesn't quite fit look, I will be able hold his hand all night without feeling weird or crack attention by the time it was over We we so tired. We wouldn't even care the.

right now how to bring my prom dream is just that my school is a great place, but out of about five hundred students are only a few openly gay kids, I'm pretty brave. But sorry I just don't feel ready to take a boy to prom. I want to try to take a boy to a school dance, there's just too weird. It felt like every I was focused on us for all the wrong reasons. Maybe things will be better for younger guys. I hope so and my school attend the prom in groups of friends is normal acceptable. That's what I'm doing time to drag out that Turkey that again, but I'm looking forward to it. I won't thank my friends are the greatest and try to focus on the thing. I cannot yet I'll walk in feeling, sad and knowing for better or worse I'll, be leaving these people in the fall. We'll all go,

up to our own lives. Who knows what will happen in mine all Heather cheesy themes- and ours is no exception- began, cries out from invitations and prom updates throughout our school. My dream can a long time ago, I'm just waiting for it to come. True, Titus Burgess reading Frank Pybus essay, a prince charming for the prom. Not ever after, though, will catch up with frame. after the break. Yeah living proof, products make life easier,

just ask Sarah from LOS Angeles recently I had to have surgery and, as a result, it was very hard for me to raise my arm and wash my hair when I relied on the dry shampoo being able to at least I clean hair just really helped me stay sane, that perfect hair day dry shampoo was huge use the code, love for free travel, eyes. Dry shampoo, with your twenty dollar order, living proof, dot, com, we're back It's modern love, the podcast I magnets Chakrabarti and now a postscript from the

deter of modern love for the New York Times Daniel Jones and the author of this week's essay, Frank Paver. The piece was published on the day of my school's prom that very morning, so by the time that we had actually gotten to prom at nights, everybody had read it and are one of the mothers that was on the prom committee. I came up to me and she said you know, congratulations on the article and six cetera et Cetera, and then she got to her real point, which was that had she said. So you think the theme is tacky Anza in the article I actually didn't refer to it as tacky. I referred to it as cheesy. Ah so she was not

these that I had called something she had been working a very long time on cheesy or attacking some stories that we run and modern love our timeless that they could have taken place anytime anywhere and they are just about basic emotions. And then other stories that we run in modern love? I think of as Time Capsule essays they really represent a moment in time that I think people looking back would think. Oh, that's how it used to be that's how it used to be fought. A gay high school student, Frank He just seems way ahead of his time and I just think for a seventeen year old high school student is remarkably fresh, open, honest and funny portrait of what

present a moment in time that I think people looking back would think. Oh, that's how it used to be that's how even back in two thousand and five writing inserted. Charming Frank he he, he just seems way ahead of his time, and I just think for a seventeen year old high school student, it's a remarkably fresh, open and in a fair number of those emails were taking him to task. stereotyping straight people for stereotyping, gay people, and you know it it's hard to write about high school life without stereotyping people to a certain degree. I mean that's the at the age when are falling into different clicks based.

Get emails by the hundreds and a fair number of those emails were taking him to task for stereotyping straight people for stereotyping, gay people- and you know it it's hard to write about Highschool life without photos from older gay couples. Talking about you how long they had been together and what their story wise. I got some people who asked me to go to the prom with them. I got some letters. Young people talking about their own experiences in high school in and being gay and wishing they could take people to dances and what not this before. We could all just get on a computer and communicate with each other and so to build a community on line in a back. Then I

who asked me to go to the prom with them. I got some letters, new people talking about their own experiences in Highschool and and being gay, and you know wishing they could take people to dances and whatnot. He- and this is before we could all just get on a computer and communicate with each other and to sort of build a community online. You know back, then I I used to go downtown to the Barnes and noble and to stand in the gender studies sociology, geology section, which was like they had like two shells of gay related books, and I were just sort of stand there to see. You know if anybody would show up which at least to my adult my na sounds sort of sad and beautiful, but at the time. Frank has come a long way from the high school gymnasiums and the gender studies Section of Barnes, noble he twenty nine. Now

A writer and actor and a tour guide in New York City and best of all he's found a prince, charming of his own patient that, in a succinct way that I had just had certainly felt but had never tried to coalesce and express before Frank has come a long way from the high school gymnasiums and the gender studies section of Barnes and noble he's twenty nine. Now, a writer and actor and a tour guide in New York City and best of all he's found a prince charming of his own

Pragmatic now than I used to be in the eleven years between when I wrote the peace and now obviously a lot has changed politically the representation and I think the understanding for teenagers who are coming out of the closet and the difficulties that that can bring. I just think, there's a water awareness of what that means. Now you know, I think it's really easy for me to say, like I felt like parts of the peace now are sort of a museum piece, but I mean we all know. That's not true there. There are so many people that are still in this exacting situation, and so I guess they my hope for people hearing it now, which is to be able to see a positive

what that means. Now I think it's really easy for me to say, like I felt like parts of the piece now are sort of a museum piece, but I mean we all know. That's not true there. There are so many people that are still in this exact same situation, and so I guess that my hope for, and starving for the prom, not ever after, though we also heard from modern love, editor Dan Jones and special thanks to Titus Burgess. For reading this week's essay, we asked Titus why he chose francs essay and he said it was a no brainer for him. This is my story. I didn't write those but I wrote I like this- and I am hopeful that term shortly as he's like this and experiences like this- will cease to exist and the next pike, hats and I read- will be about they're Dan Jones and special thanks to Tituss Burgess for reading this week's essay, we asked Titus why he chose Frank's essay

and he said it was a no brainer for him. This is my story. I didn't write this, but I wrote this. I live this and you can see Titus Burgess now in season, two of unbreakable Kemys Schmidt on Netflix here, what's coming up next week after the brain Support for modern love comes from audible, audible, dot com raise more than a hundred and eighty thousand titles. Dear ears, audio books like beautiful ruins and sweet bitter artistic click away down,

the audible, app and listen on your commute at the gym or the beach there's something for everyone. Classics, non fiction romance and much more right. Now, audible, dot com is offering a free thirty day trial. Go to audible, dot, com, modern and get a free audiobook. It's that easy go to audible, dot com, modern it goes to your ears. Audiobooks, like beautiful ruins and sweet bitter, are just a click away, download the audible, app and listen on your commute at the gym or at the beach there's something for everyone. Classics nonfiction and fiction romance and much more right. Now, audible, dot com is off trial, go to audible, dot, com, slash modern and get a free audiobook, person and tickets are on all right now, there's a link for more information at w DOT, org, modern love. You love modern love, the podcast come to our live, show October. at Town Hall in New York City I'll, be there along with Dan Jones

new, dad facing a heartbreaking reality. and we realized we weren't in agreement. I was talking about the Dnc. While LISA had decided to give birth incredulous, I asked why she would want to go through all that pain. She said she couldn't imagine just getting rid of our child by a surgical procedure. She wanted to see him. So I had to ask myself: why didn't I want to meet my son? I realized we weren't in agreement. I was talking about the Dnc, while LISA had decided to give birth incredulous. I asked why she would want to go through all that pain. She said she couldn't imagine just getting rid of your times and w B you are Boston, NPR station, its produced, directed and edited by Jessica, Albert John Parity and Emory Seabirds said. The idea for the modern love podcast was conceived by these. A Tobin are casting

on is or your iris podcast. Our executive producer, Daniel Jones is the updates the times. Dot com, Slash loved hawked, modern love is a production of the New York Times and WB. You are Boston's NPR station it's produced, directed and edited by Jessica, Alpert John Variety, Annemarie Siebert said the idea for the modern love podcast was conceived by LISA Tobin.