Chuck Loves Roy Rogers!

My first gay crush was actor Roy Rogers (and more!)

My dad bought our family our first TV in 1952.

At age 5, my favorite shows at the time were "The Roy Rogers Show" and "Howdy Doody," which ran old movie serials like "Flash Gordon."

Secretly, Roy Rodgers was my hero. I hugged and kissed my pillow as I fell asleep, pretending it was him.

Then, the first time I saw Buster Crabbe running around shirtless, drenched in sweat, I was hooked. He became my hero too, and gave me a funny feeling in my gut. 

Later on, Lloyd Bridges also became my hero. The excitement I felt when I saw him in Speedos left me baffled. And I never missed an episode of "Sea Hunt." 

There was no name for my feelings back then, and I told no one about them. All I knew was that these were all rough and tumble guys. And all I wanted to do was to put my arms around each of them and just hold them. 

Chuck - Rutland, Vermont
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Click - "Born This Way: Real Stories of Growing Up Gay" book
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