We all know the book "The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells, it was a great success as it should have been. But this book, well it is the diary of David and Richard, the first American gay couple to live in Parkersburg, England just down the lane from where I preached every Sunday.
I didn't know they were gay at the time or rather I would have never guessed as Richard was my youngest brother and he'd never given any indication of his being gay.
Richard had gone to school in Texas, then transferred to Boston University where he met David. It wasn't until the Martians arrived that I learned my brother was gay and that he and his spouse, Richard, had returned to England to establish their careers.
The first shock of their existence came on Christmas Morning, not my brother being gay but the exitance of the Martians, it came while the children stood out front of the church and sang as people entered.
There they were in their best New York Fashion hats and coats trailing behind them in the snow that had fallen the night before, Christmas Snow many call it.
They didn't seem to notice the pointing fingers or strange looks as they strolled past the townspeople without any notice at all and entered the church in joy and sparkle of the holiday season. I watched with some glee as David managed to get in a kiss upon Richard's cheek just after taking off their coats and taking their seats in row ten in the back.
