For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 01, 2022

from what I recall, when having read FBorFW in the newspaper, we readers never met Ben, did we?

Why did it have to be someone so much older? Now I’m just sad.

This is the most problematic part of this story. Michael was horrified that Lawrence was gay, but he is not horrified that Lawrence is dating an adult while he is a minor.

This is going to go on for a bit, so bear with me.

My understanding is that back 29 years ago when this comic strip was published, for certain members of the gay community, it was considered acceptable for adult men and older boys Lawrence’s age (16 and up) to have relationships. This changed a few years back when the #metoo movement started targeting adult celebrities who had done this in the past, by pointing out such relationships were illegal. The actor Kevin Spacey comes to mind in particular. I remember Kevin Spacey because his defense for having done this was to admit that he was gay, as if that would explain it. It was OK because he was gay.

Nevertheless, I think the attitude here in this comic strip is a reflection of that belief. Lynn Johnston has often said that this story was in homage to one of her childhood friends who was murdered back in 1991. Her friend was murdered and robbed by an underage kid with whom the man had an intimate relationship. Lawrence and his adult male friend are like Lynn Johnston’s friend shown to be normal (if you subtract the murder and robbery) . Michael Patterson does not even question it and seems to accept it completely.

While there are troubling things coming up, it was always this part of the Lawrence story that bothered me the most.

Sweet baby, I just want to give him a hug. You can’t help who you fall in love with. Having said all of that…if this Ben guy hurts Lawrence, I will personally go all Grandma on him!

Everybody…. Earlier today, I got notified of a reply to a post I made here on March 28th….

A lot of comments had been made that day, most sympathetic to gay and trans people, a few, well… not so much.

When I went back to read that reply, I saw that a LOT of comments … including the long thread started by Templo S.U.D., up on top… were GONE.

….

My long post farther down, about gender identity and sexual orientation not being a choice, which had a few replies, was another that had been removed.

I know I didn’t say anything that goes against the alleged comment policy… I’d never be argumentative, rude or obscene.

Of course, I hadn’t memorised all the comments.. but I do remember that a lot of the deleted ones were saying the same thing… that sexual orientation is not a choice.. which it’s NOT.

….

What GoComics did wasn’t just to remove both sides of what they consider an argument, however polite… because a couple of gay-bashing comments still remain on the 30th.

It’s possible that a few people have been flagging wildly, and rather than reading the comments, GoComics simply removes anything with a lot of flags.

I feel as though it was pretty shoddy, and plan to write to the moderators and ask why my comments were removed.

Moderator@gocomics.com

Once Mike got that temper tantrum out of his system, he has proven himself to be the friend Lawrence needs.

Their parents, on the other hand…

Heads up for people here reading this for the first time. There will be a temporary change in the story arc next Monday that will last about 4 days. This storyline is far from over.

Doesn’t Mike’s eventual wife become a pharmacist? I wanted to be one in 1977, which American Top 40 with Casey Kasem is rebroadcating the week of 2 April this weekend.

I’m have no problem with gayness (gaiety? gayhood?). But I hate to see a metaphor abused like that!

So we have a 20-year-old man taking advantage of a 16 year old boy… Disgusting pedophile..

Growing up I had a friend who was gay. When he was 16, his mother found out and kicked him out of the house. Scott had no other place to go, so he moved in with a gay man who was twice his age…. After that I lost contact with him. Several years ago I looked for him online and I couldn’t find him anywhere… I had feared for the worst… Fortunately, I managed to reconnect with him a couple of years ago and I’m happy to say that despite all the garbage he had to endure, today he is doing fine.

So, a S3xual predator preying on minors….got it.

Today April 1, 2022 April would turn 31

Yesterday, see my oops :D

Age of consent in Canada is 16 as it in about 1/2 the states. In 1995 Georgia raised the age from 14 to 16. Why is everyone assuming they are having sex?

Come ON, you guys… pedophile?

Lawrence is 17. I believe he’ll be 18 in October but I can’t remember where I read that.

His crush, Ben, is TWENTY… a college boy, since he’s “going to be a pharmacist”…. probably, at 20, in the spring of his sophomore year

He’s not 40, heck, he’s not even 21 yet… and may or may not be interested in a 17-year-old.

We don’t know whether they’ve had a date… or whether Ben even acknowledges Lawrence’s romantic interest… though it’s being implied that Lawrence does know Ben is gay.

It’s possible they’ve only talked in the library… maybe they went to the movies… is even possible they did other things… but let’s not jump to conclusions….

Or assume “things happen” because they’re gay, that you wouldn’t assume happen to a girl with a crush on a college guy, even if she brings him to a school dance.

20 is still very young… he might well live at home or in a dorm. Maybe he’s somewhat closeted himself.

To call him a pedophile or a predator is over the top!

Lynn’s Comments:

This story ran for a couple of weeks. Each daily strip stood on its own for 24 hours, which meant that the story ran quite slowly–especially if you were not in favour of it. When you read this in a book, the story is perhaps too fast, but in the papers, it seemed to go on forever.

So, my takeaway is that skiing is a good way to pick up men?

And allows us to see a little inside. Insight.

Well put, Lawrence.

If the above comments about 16/17/18 are true kids today are a lot more naive and innocent than they were in the 70’ s!!!

Get back in the closet. We have enough little faggots out now.

Lawrence seems to be handling his life changes pretty well. And Mike is no longer in denial and anger so he too seems to be handling the change in their relationship. In a way, this is a real test of Mike’s friendship with Lawrence. The same kind of test that Mike would’ve gone through had Lawrence gotten a girlfriend to spend his extra time with. For Mike his experience of the test is about separation, not really sexuality.

As to the age difference of Lawrence and Ben, they met at a public place, both engaged in skiing and both probably handling the poles and skis in much the same manner. Both, too, are into their future vocations but enjoying life, too.

Lawrence is taking everything slow and easy….or so it seems.

Come on now! This WAS such a great comic! Don’t ruin it with all the political bullshit and topics that are “in vogue” and 99% of the people don’t care about or believe in. It’s just force-fed constantly now.

and be “open” with his best friend Mike.

This doesn’t belong in comics. Shame

Wait, he’s 20? And Lawrence is what, 16? Well that changes everything. This relationship MUST be discouraged. That would be true if they were hetero too.

Dear Lynn, you are so brave and such a beautiful person to bring this to light. Your story line flows very smoothly. Well done! I missed this the 1st time 20 years ago. Thank you for bringing it back.

Say you’re 40 years old.And you’re in love with a little girl 10 years old.

“This one’s gonna be a pip,brother!Now he’s got me going around with a ten year old kid.

You folks in the audience got a good idea where I’m gonna wind up!"

Now,you couldn’t marry this little girl,could you?"

“Not unless I come from the mountains!”

I am glad that Lawrence found a nice guy and they are only a couple of years apart in age.

On this day, a group has come to Lawrence’s defense, which is aptly called:

No

Antithetics of

Mixed-race

Boy’s

Lifestyle

Allowed

I don’t believe we ever saw, or heard from, Ben ever again.

that’s what a friend is for

No one said they had sex

I can see that people are upset by the age gap…maybe Ben should have been 18? He could still be a pharmacy student. Why is his age mentioned?

As it is, it sounds like Lawrence knows two things about him, three if you count that Ben likes skiing. Not unusual for an infatuated teen.

Still 100% nothing wrong with Lawrence being gay. But again, I can see why people don’t like the age gap. Could have just left it as “He’s so neat, he’s going to be a pharmacist”I’ve already read the storyline many times, so I’m probably rambling here

Little light better than no light.

Most of the comments here are about statutory rape, which is only barely related to whether Ben is a pedophile.

It’s not against the law to be a pedophile.

Whether someone is a pedophile would be matter of social opinion. Or of medical science, in which case a pedophile is someone who is attracted to prepubescent persons.