Hey, how ya doin’? My name is Fred, Fred Jackson. I’m thirty-three years old, I’m an airline mechanic, make good money, got my own house with garage, truck, dirtbike, patio out back for barbecueing. In my spare time I like to watch professional football, Buffalo is my team baby. I also race motorcross during the season, built my own bike and have quite the collection of trophies to show for my efforts. I love motorcycles. And boxing, I love boxing.

I also love men.

I don’t drink wine or champagne, my booze of choice is domestic beer, Bud if ya got it, none of that fancy imported shit. And Jack Daniels, I fuckin’ love shooting down Jack Daniels whiskey.

I also love making love to men.

I’m an ex-marine, enlisted right outa high school, infantry. I served with distinction during the Gulf War, honorably discharged seven years ago when my time was up. Saw some people killed, people, friends I knew I saw killed. I also did some killing of my own. Not proud of it, but I did it cause that was my job, that’s what I got paid to do. Part of what being a man is all about. That’s what my Daddy taught me, anyway.

I had a long time boyfriend who I loved. He died last year. I loved him very much.

I don’t like opera, classical music or musicals and I don’t like Barbra-fucking-Streisand. In fact, I don’t like any of that girl-shit. I like country music, Garth is good but George Strait is even better.

When I was a kid I was a Golden Gloves boxer. These days I have a black belt in karate and a black belt in Judo as well. I was a tough kid and as a man I’m even tougher. If you love men you gotta be tough. Tougher than anyone else if you want to survive.

There are some folks that will call me things. Names like Homo, Fairy, Queer. Or Faggot. They call me these things because I’m a man who loves men. They want to hurt me with these words ‘cause I’m a man who loves making love to men. They call me these names because they’re afraid and foolish. In fact, I’ve been called these things by different people throughout my whole life.

But they only do it once. ONCE. Then they never do it again. ONCE.