By D. Hanousek
What's sexier than a good-looking, stylish gay with great hair walking down Castro pushing a stroller? I actually don't feel qualified to answer, but my gay BFF banks on this notion every chance he can get. As the most prevalent adult in my children's lives, what Charlie (the gay in question) does with my kids when he's gracious enough to babysit (as long as he's not exposing them to sex, drugs, or Divisadero dive bars) is entirely up to him. So yeah. I let my gay BFF cruise the Castro with my kids.
My three-year-old son, having a stellar preschool understanding of geography, thinks that every outing to the Castro is a actually an exciting trip to Mexico. He's especially cute wearing glasses and running Phoebe-style around the playground. In other words, he's a stranger magnet — moms, the homeless, teenagers, gay men with glasses all adore the sight of my son. Is it horrible to let Charlie take advantage of this unprecedented magnetism? In my opinion, no.
Charlie relishes in the attention he gets from men who stop to squeal, "Oh my God! Look at those glasses!" And it doesn't hurt that while my son helps push the stroller, my nearly two-year-old daughter sits in the stroller singing at the top of her lungs some song that no one has ever heard of before.
Charlie takes special care to style the kids before he takes them out. With the perfect outfit and flawless slicked-back hair, my kids are ready to cruise the Castro as gay bait. Just look at how Charlie styled my daughter the last time they went out! (attached photo) How can anyone resist? And the truth is, as much as I try to impart good style onto my own children, most days I send them out in jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies. At least when they’re out with Charlie, it gives them an opportunity to look their best and have a great time while they’re at it.
Charlie is my kids’ best friend, so as long as he’s happy, they’re happy. Why should the fact that he’s single and looking for love stop them from experiencing a part of his lifestyle? And that he can use my kids to turn a man's eye? All the better.
Follow me at @dhanousek.
