The changing social landscape of the globe has made this defining characteristic less of a burden and more of a mark of resilience and compassion. Now as I continue to construct my own gay identity, I wear my homosexuality as a red badge of courage; hoping that my own personality and experiences will help to change and shape the collective perception of gay men.
Gay men perhaps even more than straight women face a slew of expectations regarding looks, body image, and lifestyle. As someone who has already struggled with these issues in the past, I have found my acceptance of myself into the gay community has only exacerbated these concerns.
In short my biggest obstacle currently is to love myself, get over myself, and finally let go to let the love in. The friends came first, the family reluctantly second and both experiences were overwhelmingly positive. As a bit of advice, I wish I had come out much sooner.
Above everything, I know that coming out has made me feel and act like a better person. I was exhilarated! I told the nurse of my need and failure to act, and she immediately called the trainer and told him to call me and get started. That worked. We moved from our home community in D. I now live alone for the first time in my life.
The changes that have taken place over these last years was very painful, but gradually a new life in me emerged: I recognized that I was gay. As I began what was for me a crucial quest to find companionship I soon discovered that my only desire for connection was with other men.
