The Power of Being Seen, by Morgan Jon Fox for Talkhouse.

In the late ’90s in Memphis, Tennessee, as an employee of Blockbuster Video, I can vividly recall the nervousness and excitement I felt while scanning the backs of VHS tapes, desperately looking for some hint of a gay character. As a still-closeted 19-year-old, this furtive mission generally had the best outcomes while stocking and organizing the foreign section. To my luck, I eventually came across a French film called Wild Reeds. I’ll never forget flipping over to the back of the box and stopping dead in my tracks as I gazed at the image of two young men locked in a tender embrace. My gay teenaged heart fluttered as I read, “This bittersweet tale delves into the life of François, a sensitive young man uncertain of his sexuality.” When I got home that night, I popped the film in the VCR and my life was forever changed.

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