Toscano packs the Tusten Theatre

By TOM KANE

NARROWSBURG, NY — Former Lake Huntington native, Peterson Toscano, drew a capacity crowd at the Tusten Theatre last Saturday, November 1.

Toscano performed a one-man show about his real life experience attending a 12-Step Christian program meant to make homosexual people straight. The show was entitled “Doin’ Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House: How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement.”

In hilarious, sometimes painful vignettes, Toscano portrayed in vivid detail the actual programs some well-meaning Christian crusaders designed to counter gay actions and behaviors.

His main character, Chad, graduated from the program but soon realized how futile his efforts were and came out, or revealed his homosexuality.

One especially poignant vignette portrayed a minister who read a passage from the Gospel of St. John that relates to the incident when Jesus commands his friend Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, to “come out” from the tomb where he had been interred for four days.

In the question and answer session after the performance, Toscano said, “The King James version quotes Jesus, who said, ‘Lazarus, come forth,’ but the newest gospel version says ‘come out,’ which says it for me.”

Toscano, whose parents are owners of Pete’s Pub in Lake Huntington, NY, considers himself a Christian but prefers the quiet acceptance of the Quakers.

“I embed in (the show) a very clear affirmative message about not just being gay, but just coming out, whoever you are, and how that process is one that requires a community to embrace you for who you are,” he said. “No one can do it in a vacuum.”

Toscano now lives in Hartford, CT, and he travels around the country speaking and performing to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups.

For more information visit homonomo.com.