As anyone who is gay will confirm, being that way is not something you become, it is a set of emotional and physical responses that just are.

Coming out involves varying degrees of difficulty that are affected by class, race, religion, and geography.

My gayness became quietly accepted and, shock of all shocks, life went on.

Gay culture is surviving and thriving. Some activists believe the recent rise in homophobic violence might be a gauge of the success of positive gay images.

I am now faced with mortality. Definitely not the most generous move.

Coming out is a means of redefining oneself, of claiming membership in a lifestyle and a social order with distinct values. Chief among these values is honesty.

If there is a gay uniform, the differences are in how each man coordinates the details: the brand and cut of the jeans, the design of belts and boots, the haircut, the number and size of earrings.