It was in a very nice summer of 2007 in Brooklyn, New York, I was still a newcomer to the United States,with my four years of experience with the American society which is very liberal compared to where I am coming from.

New York is a city where race ,color,religion or sexual orientation does not exist for most.I was and still very happy moving to this beautiful ,busy and noisy city.

I was much younger and wanted to experience anything and everything, night club bars and restaurants used to be on my every weekend schedule, I met some great people and one of my favorite new friends is Shone.

Shone is a bartender, very professional, he likes and enjoy his job, always friendly with all the customers, the fact that Shone knew that i was new to the city,he introduce me to plenty of great people and even help me to register to a english learning center to make my english better.

After three good years of friendship ,one saturday night as usual at Shone’s bar, he was off that day and we decided to have a drink together with others friends to celebrate Shone birthday, he took the opportunity the inform me his sexual orientation,Shone is gay.

Coming from a conservatif country compared to the US,and from my religious beliefs, this was one of the biggest shocks of my life.

Shone was my best friend,someone who taught me a lot,kind,nice ,and always put his friends’ needs first. That day I became sick on the spot,and I decided to go home.

 Usually we hug each other but that day, I could hug him. I was ashamed , disgust and humiliated for sociolising with a gay men for that long.

At home that night I couldn’t sleep, I was thinking of all the good times I spent with Shone. He is a very nice person and I ask myself if he didnt tell me about his sexual orientation, we would still be together partying and having a good time.

At that moment,I realised that I was being a homophobe and the same religion that I strongly believe taught  us that we are all God children and we should love each other.

My ignorance was going to cost me my best friend,my brother, the next day I went to Shone and apologized for my behavior,and surprisingly he totally understood me and I was able to hug him again comfortably .

That day was one of the most memorable days of my adult life,I realise that even if you don’t agree with someone else’s choice, you have to respect it.

It was a very good life lesson for me.