There was a person with learning disabilities in our neighbourhood, a man named Johnny who was nineteen years old at the time of this story, while I was a forty-three-year-old divorced woman who lived alone.
Although Johnny was suffering from Down syndrome, he was very kind, polite and responsible. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about some of the guys and girls of his age who usually mocked and bullied him, despite having a healthy brain. I noticed that he is able and willing to learn and have a normal life. His disability didn't affect him or people who interacted with him that much. I considered him an adult, so did his parents and the people who really knew him. Those who didn't were simply mean and wanted to belittle him.
There was only one field which Johnny was still considered a child in it. You can easily guess which one!
I noticed that he had become sexually mature as well. Despite he tried to hide it, I noticed that he is showing sexual desire for women. I knew he was suffering and couldn't have a girlfriend.
One time, one of the mean girls tricked him. She faked having feelings for him and indirectly encouraged him to approach her. Then she pulled a prank on Johnny and shamed him in public.
I felt sorry for him. He was a good person and didn't deserve that, nobody does.
Johnny's parents were kind to him and took care of his needs until he grew and became an independent man in every field, except one. He never got the education which he needed about relationship and sex. I tried talking to his parents about it. They admitted he had no sex education at all, but they insisted that they wanted their child like that. Despite I believe their intention was good, that was actually cruel. They had no right to expect him to remain a little boy for the rest of his life. He needed to grow and his desires needed to be fulfilled. I knew that he was mature, intelligent and responsible enough to have a relationship, even a serious one. Many guys and girls of his age were having irresponsible and unsafe sex lives, despite having healthy brains and sufficient education. So, why should he be denied?
One day, I was re-watching the movie "One flew over the cuckoo's nest". When I saw how cruelly nurse Ratched treated Billy (both of them were characters in that famous movie) for having sex, I thought of Johnny. Wasn't the society doing the same thing to him? Weren't we all nurse Ratcheds who – despite having good intentions – couldn't see him as an adult (at least in that particular field) and forbid him from having a normal life?
He was legally allowed to have relationships and sex, but that right only existed on paper. The society banned him in real life.
I decided to help him myself. One day I invited him in. we had a little chat and I started talking about sex-related subjects. He was too shy, but I managed to make him talk. He admitted that he is suffering because he is horny and cannot be satisfied. He also admitted that he has never seen a naked woman and hasn't masturbated in his life (he didn't even know how to do it)!