He has now become a gay icon, Desmond – according to the website dedicated to him – as well as a gay icon, is defined as a «a source of inspiration for many» and a «expression of hope for the future». A phrase attributed to him is then reported: «People should have the opportunity to dance, sing or dress in any way. You can express yourself however you want. It doesn't matter if you like jazz or rap, ballet or ballroom, women's dresses or men's suits. You can just do it. I like Diana Ross. Maybe you like it too».
Already at preschool age, little Desmond enjoyed dressing in his own way, con «sheet», «towels», «his mother's t-shirt» e «anything else useful to create her clothes and wigs». Desmond liked it (and still like it) «running up and down the hallway in his mother's high heels», preferring to play with barbies rather than play the sports of her male peers. At the age of six, struck by watching the animated film Frozen, Desmond asks his mother to buy him a costume like Princess Elsa's.
A developmental psychologist was interviewed, Desmond's parents felt advised to indulge their son's tendencies and dress him as he desired. The child would have expressly declared his homosexuality at the age of nine, however, not recognizing themselves as transgender but only as attracted to the same sex and wanting to dress as a woman. Having not yet entered puberty, Desmond would not have had romantic relationships yet, nor sexual approaches: for him, his being gay is identified in the certainty that he is not attracted to the opposite sex and that, in the future, he will want a male companion next to him.
The personal story of Desmond Napoles, his performances as a dancer in New York gay clubs, has exploded enthusiasm in the world of entertainment and, in particular, in the community Lgbt, who immediately made him his favourite. According to drag queen singer RuPaul, Desmond even represents «the future of America».
What is described as a model of emancipation and defeat of prejudices, However, it is nothing more than a new media phenomenon, That, what's more, exploits the immaturity of a child of only eleven years. In fact, one wonders to what extent Desmond's extravagance is the spontaneous manifestation of a restless young self and to what extent it is, actually, the result of an ambiguous and permissive education. The Desmond Phenomenon, far from representing a new frontier of freedom and civil rights, it is in reality a disturbing business that leverages the morbid curiosity of many and risks clearing the way for pedophile and pederast conduct. If it may seem like a game to many, It is also true that playing on children's sensitivity and fragility can be very dangerous. And it can have dramatically unpredictable consequences.
Luca Marcolivio