lion pride

Truth be told, Lionel was more of an advocate for gay pride than for the actual pride that he belonged to. When it came to roaring, most lion's modeled their roar after the MGM lion. Lionel crafted his after Kelly Clarkson. His vibrato could often be heard echoing over the plains, and resonating throughout the spooky carnage in the elephant graveyard. 

The beautiful mane that encircled Lionel's head was the result of countless hours of shampooing and conditioning. It was no secret that there was not a single split end to be found in his beautiful flow.  

When Lionel "came out of the jungle" as they say in the Serengeti, he was about the same age that young Simba was when he was chased out of his pride and ended up becoming boys with Timon and Pumbaa. Ironically, the first thing that Lionel bought after coming out was a little pet meerkat named Timon. The second thing he bought was an expensive man purse to carry around his little pet in. This purse was made out of the finest wrinkled Warthog leather. (Prada didn't make man purses. Pumbaa brand did however.) 

King of the jungle? Lionel was more on pace to become the next queen of the jungle. The way he skipped to a fro like a dainty gayzelle; the manner in which he refused to frequent watering holes that didn't have a nail salon within walking distance. Lionel took alot of shit from his Lion bros and all the homophobe hyena hecklers growing up, but that didn't prevent him from being the lion that he knew he was deep down inside beneath his silky smooth and blemish-free coat.

To pull a quote from Elton John's fabulous book of quotes:

"It's the circle of life, 

and it moves us all.

Through despair and hope,

Through faith and love.

Till we find our place,

On the path unwinding,

In the Circle of Life,

The Circle, of, Life."

It was pretty apparent that Lionel had found his "place" on the "path unwinding". Because the circle of life isn't very straight. And neither was Lionel.