Not too long ago, one of them had just got married and someone had bought him a Congrats wedding balloon. What I do get though is awkward avoidance of eye contact, and obviously uncomfortable feeling when we are in close quarters like an elevator. I sent them welcome emails when they started to make them feel comfortable, nothing. They make it really uncomfortable, and to be honest it’s annoying. I work with several Albanians, and except for one girl, no one ever talks to me. As I have matured and gotten older, I have gained a new appreciation of where I come from, and I just dismiss the negativity. For quite sometime I was so embarrassed and hated being Albanian that I went by the name “Val Truman.” I didn’t really care to associate with people who hate me and talk shit about me for something I can’t help. I have had my nationality denounced by other Albanians. You know what is a disgrace to Albanians? Showing intolerance toward your own people and hating them because of the way they were born. I’ve also heard I am a disgrace to Albanians. Some even had the nerve to tell me that I am not Albanian because I am gay. I’ve argued with my fair share of Albanians because of this. “Zoti” meant for a man and woman to be together.” Not man with man or woman with woman. For an Albanian, to say you are gay brings shame to your family. Out of all of those people who took issue, my own people sadden me. I have definitely faced some challenges from people who had difficulty accepting I am gay. I have been an out and proud gay man since I was 17 years old. The negative views of homosexuality is what I take strong issue with. We do have some antiquated beliefs that boggle my mind a bit. I believe, for the most part, that we have a beautiful and rich culture.
I will be the first to say that I take pride in my ethnicity. A lot of people might think, so what? What does one have to do with the other? A lot! And not in a good way either. I always strive to give gay Albanians a face, but I don’t want to shove it in anyone’s face on Facebook or Twitter either. I have decided to gather my thoughts and feelings into this one blog post. Some of you might have read my Facebook and Twitter updates regarding this topic.
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