Sexy gay Legs, Short Shorts, and Shaving

[SexyGaySenior]

I had posted a sort of memoir in some Gay/Queer based groups about when I met my first boyfriend in college. It was September, 1973, and I was 18-years-old, but less than three months from my 19th birthday, and "my first love" was six months older. In that memoir, I talked about the night I went over to Ashley's (my boyfriend) house for what would be my "awakening", the night I finally came to terms with not so much who I was, as I already knew that, but more, what I was, that being a certified Queer.

In that little expose, I mentioned about the fact that for that night, I wore what had become my signature look: a tee shirt, I had on a black one that night, my cut-off jean shorts, running shoes with no socks, and a baseball cap with the crest of the car I drove at the time. And those shorts weren't just "shorts", but, typical-for-the-time very short cut-off jean shorts! Mine weren't quite half-way down my legs from my thighs. I had "created" those shorts back in May of that year just when I wrapped up my semester at college, and just before I would switch programs. Of course, by "created", I mean, I took a pair of scissors and cut off the legs. When I got to Ashley's house, remember how I was dressed? Ashley had on a blue tee shirt and cut-off shorts that were shorter than mine! Oh, did he look sexy! Those short cut-off shorts we wore were, as far as I'm concerned, very sexy. They exposed much of our legs, which was the number one reason I began to shave my legs. That was also the time I finally came to the realization that a lot of guys have very nice legs. Ashley was THE prime example of a guy with very sexy legs. Also, those shorts were quite tight. They showed EVERYTHING! Using Ashley as an example, they showed that Ashley had a very sexy ass. And if you had of asked him, he would have said the same thing about me. And when I say they showed "EVERYTHING", I do mean "EVERYTHING"! With Ashley and I "really getting to know each other", we both had reactions, and those tight shorts showed it!

The one point about that period in time is this, jeans had begun to become very fashionable in the very early 70s. Everyone had them. Well, almost everyone. There were people who had prejudiced views of people wearing jeans, that it was a symbol of the drug culture. Seriously! To them, jeans were taboo. I was not allowed to have a pair, at least while I was in high school. However, I was working Saturdays at a garage during school, and six days a week during the summer months. As I was facing college in the fall of 1972, I bought a couple of pair of jeans. Remember me saying about people being prejudiced? I lived with THE most prejudiced person alive, my mother. She hated that I bought those jeans and forced me to return them. I didn't. I fought her, which was a very dangerous thing to do, as she had a very short fuse and a very violent temper. Thankfully, I inherited my father's calmer demean. As it was, I wore those jeans that first year at school. One of the pair got the knees damaged, and viola! In the late-spring of 1973,I got my first pair of cut-offs. And I cut them based on what I saw both in college, and outside of college.

Cut-offs were another fashion story all together, and would lead to further major confrontations with my mother (these were nothing compared to what would happen down the road!). Girls could wear shorts as short as possible, whether they were cut-off jean shorts, or just regular type shorts. It was nothing to see a woman with her rear cheeks sticking out. This was, however, acceptable. Guys would wear short cut-offs, but some would wear them in a way that eventually would get those types of shorts for guys banished, mainly by feminist fashion police. These guys would sit in ways that allowed their private parts to be exposed. I never did that! Neither did any other guys I knew, Gay or straight, who wore really short cut-off shorts. I have worn what you call those "tighty-whiteys", though I never had a white pair. I had every colour under the rainbow, which should figure, but never a white pair. They kept everything in, as they were supposed to. Besides Ashley, all the guys I knew had really short cut-offs. One point though, as it seemed my Gay friends who I mainly socialize with, tended to wear theirs shorter than the straight guys I knew. This included me.

I got in a lot of trouble with my mother over those shorts. Mother had this "thing" about fashion that was really 70s. Only problem, it was the 1870s, not the 1970s. Among other prejudiced ideas, you weren't allowed to wear shorts after Labour Day, this, despite the fact the temperatures were still in the upper 70s at night and would get well into the 80s in the daytime. Nowadays, I wear shorts from the first day of spring, March 21st, right up until Christmas, and sometimes even after Christmas. A couple of years ago, I wore shorts into January and well into February, as we had quite the mild winter. The worst part hit the last week of February and into the first two weeks of March, where it was finally too cold for shorts, even for me. But by March21st, it was warm enough to show off my legs! Mother must spin in her grave!

Another fashion trend that was embraced by both women and men was the wearing of gym-style short shorts. This styling trend was started by an actress who played in a mid-70s TV series, and who posed in a picture wearing a black, tight-fitting tank top, and very tight-fitting, red-coloured gym shorts. Her poster took off and sold like hotcakes. The style took off too! I had four pair of those gym-style shorts, only one with stripes on the side though. I had a black pair, a red pair, and two pair that were purple. The style did last up into the late 80s, and short shorts on guys lasted right up until the mid-to-late-90s. Still, the feminists pushed the designers to make us guys wear longer, and if you want my opinion, uglier shorts.

Admittedly, I miss the days we could wear those really short cut-offs.

Nowadays, I wear what is called "chino shorts". They're not overly short, but, they are a couple of inches above the knees, as shorts should be. They're not tight either. Either that, or I'm wearing a size or two too big! They are comfortable. I have enough that I can wear a different pair a day, and can go two weeks without wearing the same pair. I do. however, have several that are the same very light beige colour. Remember what I said about my signature look? It's still a tee shirt, running shoes with no socks, and a baseball cap. The really short cut-offs have been replaced with those chino shorts.

And if you are curious, I've never worn a pair of leather shorts, which have been popular among Gay men since the late 80s. I went to a Gay club one time sometime in the 1990s, and a lot of the guys wore very short, very tight, leather shorts. Don't get me wrong, a lot of guys looked sexy in them, but they just didn't look comfortable, at least to me.

So, did I ever really shave my legs? The answer is yes, I did, and I still do!

So when did I start to shave my legs?

Not long after I ***FINALLY*** embraced my sexuality, my boyfriend and I were out this one Saturday evening, and we were at the apartment of two Gay friends of ours from school. We met these two through the college Queer club, of which Ashley and I were two of only eight members that year. That night , the eight of us were there. We were just sitting around shooting the breeze. It was very nice to socialize with these guys, as we weren't really into drinking, and none of us smoked, which was good for me, as I have always been deathly allergic to cigarette smoke. I happened to be sitting on the floor and was leaning back so my back was against Ashley's legs, as he sat in the chair. We did have the TV on, but nobody was paying attention. Then, a commercial came on for a leg hair removal product. I know I wasn't the only one to express more than a little curiosity about having smooth legs. Had I thought about it before? Not really. Did the reason I suddenly found myself thinking about having smooth legs have to do with me finally embracing and living my Queer lifestyle? Could have been! After the commercial finished, I was giving my legs a good look-over. One of the other guys there looked at me and asked if I was thinking of shaving my legs. I looked them over again, and I said I wondered what smooth legs might feel like. Now, nobody else thought about at the time, but, they did start to think about it after. I was offered the chance! "If you want, we can help you!" I couldn't turn that offer down! So, that evening, with the help of my boyfriend, and six of what were to become our closest friends, we retreated to the bathroom. I slipped off my running shoes then took my shorts off. Ashley washed my legs and helped me put shaving cream all over them. Ashley actually helped me shave the backs of my legs. It took a good twenty minutes, but, it was worth the effort! My legs felt a little strange for a few minutes, then that feeling gave way to feeling totally amazing! I felt sexy! The guys all thought my legs looked so amazing, and sexy! Next thing, I was helping Ashly shave his legs. Once we were done, all six of our friends took a razor to their legs. Once done, we gazed at each other's legs. We all looked amazingly sexy and beautiful.

You need to know this, I was still two months away from my 19th birthday, and I was the youngest guy in the room! The oldest? He had just celebrated his 22nd birthday.

I had to hide my new found look under jeans for a while, and I shaved my legs every second day to keep them smooth. But, as winter set in, I let them go. The hair grew back. Did I shave my legs again? In school? I didn't. In fact, I didn't shave my legs again until March 5th, 1977. How do I remember that date? Easy! I had been working at my new job in the most Homophobic company imaginable since the previous August when I finished school! In February of 1977, I found an apartment, and Ashley and I moved in together. It was 'unofficial', of course, given that Gay rights were still not at all accepted. I don't know if they would have refused to rent to me, or us, but I didn't want to take the chance. I feared work finding out I was sharing a one bedroom apartment with another guy. For the record, Ashley crashed at my place a lot, and slept on the couch. However, the truth is, Ashley never slept on my couch! We slept together in our bed, when we were in bed to sleep! On the first Saturday of that March, our other friends had dropped in for a sort of house warming party. We kept fairly quiet, so as not to draw attention to the fact there was an apartment full of Queers in the building. That evening, feeling my freedom, and with Ashley's help, I shaved my legs.

That evening was the final time I ever had any hair on my legs. For forty-two years, I have faithfully shaved my legs at least every second or third day.

The one point I want to make before closing, is about cream depilatories. Back in the 1990s, a company called Sally Hanson made just about the best hair removing cream. It had aloe vera in it, and it left my legs not only smooth, but well moisturized as well. I wish they still made that stuff! It was amazing!