Meet me in Medellin

Dear Friends,

I was delighted to read for the first time in my life a magazine for boy-lovers like the NAMBLA Bulletin. I could almost not believe it that you would have such a publication here in the US. I am a Colombian, but have lived in this country for six years on and off. This time I came to get my Ph.D, so I guess I'll have to sacrifice three years of my life here as far as pederastic relationships are concerned. I still do not understand how the millions of pedophiles in this country could live under such restraint and fear. And what about the millions of boys who are longing to have a relationship with a man? Their rights have been totally ignored.

Colombia is filled with beautiful boys. I remember how my phone would ring off the hook, especially on weekends, and all my friends would come over and play video games or go with me to the movies. My weekends were just wonderful.

I would never pay a boy, and a boy would very rarely charge you for having sex, though I would of course give them presents once in a while. I would offer them my friendship first and I would never be persistent to convince one of them to have sex. I like the natural approach as I am a very romantic person. Most of my boyfriends liked my personality. I was always making jokes with them in a good way, and they loved my sense of humor.

I had a relationship that lasted five years. I lived with D. since he was 13, and his mother knew about it and approved. She used to tell me that D. was doing better in school since he was living with me. He used to be a little brat, but with me he would really behave. We were deeply in love. He was very possessive, so jealous and demanding of my attention that sometimes it would get out of hand. Now he is 23 years old and he always tells me that I was his greatest love of all. I feel proud that he is a full man with a good personality and a great future.

Here in the USA such a relationship would be seen as wrong, and I would be considered a molester, pervert, and monster. In Colombia people still have the same attitude towards pedophiles, however they are much cooler than here. I remember that though everyone around the block knew about me and my taste for young boys, they never did anything against me. I think that age of consent in my country is 14 or 16; whatever it is it really did not bother me. If you really get in trouble you can always bribe the police and they can talk the parents out of it.

I couldn't hold my desires so the other day I went to the avenue a couple of times until one of the hustlers picked up a 14-year-old boy for me. This was the first time in my life I had to pay for sex. After I got home I said to myself this is not what I want. I got some sexual satisfaction that really has taken me nowhere. What I really enjoy is a friendship with a boy, being together with someone young. Sex wasn't the answer, the answer was to get involved with a youngster's life, to share laughter, to join in harmony with a boy. Some people think it is only sex that causes a pedophile to approach boys. In my case it is not.

I guess one of the things that have encouraged me to respect a young boy's sexuality and not force him an any way is the beautiful experience I had when I was only 13 and was loved by a 27-year-old man. His approach towards me was so gentle that I never felt fear. I finally engaged in sex with him after two months and I did feel love for him even though even then I was attracted to young boys like myself.

In my country you can run around with your boyfriend without being threatened by society. I remember on one occasion my 14-year-old lover said to me while we were walking down main street, "If you really love me, you'll give me a big french kiss right now, in front of all these people." I said no way. "But if you don't give me a kiss that means that you don't love me." So I turned around, grabbed his shoulders, and gave him a big french kiss. Obviously people around us, looking surprised. Some gave us a bad look, some laughed, but no one included us. Do that here in the USA, and you would get arrested right on the spot.

Sincerely yours,

California

Mike Van Houten replies: Before everyone packs their bags and buys one-way tickets to Bogota, they might read The Advocate's (October 8, 1991) article entitled "Colombian Gays Pay With Their Lives - Death Squads Target Gay Men."

source: 'Meet me in Medellin'; Letter to the editor; Nambla Bulletin, vol. 12, no. 8; October 1991