Muristek
Why it’s time to celebrate TV’s most neglected relationship: the straight best mate
From eyeballing fetishwear at his first Pride to learning to cook, gay writer Jack Rooke shared his youth with his straight best pal. He explains why his new sitcom, Big Boys, pays homage to heterosexual sidekicks
I went to my first Pride with a straight best mate. Eddy rocked up wearing the 2013 lad’s lad weekend uniform: navy jacket, navy chinos, navy cap and a Newcastle United 2008 away top (available in navy) while I “daringly” wore a crisp white shirt, dad bod blue jeans and black boots. I was a burgundy lanyard away from a job in Pret.
I was feeling overwhelmed, having only just come out and was clutching a tinny for comfort as we strolled through the queer vibrancy of Soho Square. I remember zoning in on a band of harness-clad blokes mooching about, hairy thighs bare, bulges covered in PVC leather. A rather enthusiastic chap crawled past Pizza Express on a long chain leash and I found myself drenched in shock, while Eddy calmly took it in his stride. “It’s just a fella in a puppy mask pretending to be a dog, what a bloody Saturday!” he declared, swigging a Red Stripe and joyfully filling up a Terence Higgins Trust tote with LGBTQ+ support paraphernalia.
Continue reading...