95-year-old grandfather comes out as gay
Roman is both a parent, a grandfather and a husband to a beautiful wife – but for 95 years of his life, Roman has been harboring a secret. He is gay.
At the age 95, Roman bravely came out about his sexuality to his family, who have been nothing but supportive and understanding.
Though he didn’t go into detail, Roman said that a lifetime of tragedy had led him to hiding who he was from his family.
He told Davey that he’d had enough of hiding his sexuality, and felt it was time to finally be honest with his loved ones about who he is as a person.
And now that he’s ‘out’, Roman admits he would one day like to experience a relationship with another man – though he says he doesn’t have a specific ‘type’.
He told Davey: ‘I don’t look at the face, I look at the heart. Somebody to lean against, somebody who feels the heart ticking. Nobody can do that unless you let them.
‘I’ll be very honest about it, I really don’t need either physical or mental connection. But I want to go to sleep with somebody close to me. Not for any other reason, but to be sure someone cares.’
Davey describes Roman to be a charming man who has ‘a great sense of humor and loves to dance’. He said Roman was very open about his story, though admits it is a complex one.
Davey told Metro.co.uk: ‘Roman’s story is very complex. On one hand, it’s the triumphant story of a 95-year-old man coming out of the closet – and shedding the weight of a nine-decade secret. That is certainly something worth celebrating!
‘On the other hand, Roman’s story is also deeply emotional and, at times, quite difficult. At some level, it’s the story of lost opportunities.
‘You can’t help but wonder, had the circumstances been different, how Roman’s story could have ended differently. And you also feel for Roman’s wife.
‘While they undoubtedly loved each other in a deep way, both Roman and his wife deserve passion and sexual intimacy. Did they have that despite Roman being gay? I don’t know.
‘But despite the story’s complexity, Roman’s desire to feel the heartbeat of someone who loves him is fundamentally human. It’s a simple yearning that drives all of us. In it, we see Roman’s humanity. And we see ourselves.’
According to Davey, Roman’s family were very supportive of the interview and encouraged the chat to be filmed – and Roman’s grandson Brandon is even filming a documentary about Roman’s story and the complexity of love, marriage and deeply held family secrets called On My Way Out, in order to connect him with the rest of the LGBT community.
Though, adorably, Roman didn’t realise he was actually being filmed for the internet when speaking with Davey.
Davey told us: ‘Roman seems to think that YouTube is television. He kept mentioning that he sees me on TV. It was very cute.
‘I think he was eager to share his story. It’s something he had kept secret for over nine decades, and as he said, “there are certain things you want the world to know.” He wants us to know his story and see the real Roman.’
The most memorable part of the interview for Davey was when Roman spoke about wanting to feel the heartbeat of another man. ‘It’s what we all want and it was a moment that caught me off guard. It was heart-wrenching and honest,’ he said.
While that particular statement was the most memorable, it was Roman himself that has left Davey feeling truly inspired.
He said: ‘I am inspired by Roman. I am inspired to keep fighting and marching and pushing our movement forward so that fewer feel it necessary to hide in the shadows or the closet.
Source: http://metro.co.uk/2017/03/03/95-year-old-grandfather-comes-out-as-gay-in-truly-heartwarming-video-6486543/
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