Proust, Cole Porter, Michelangelo, Marc Almond and me : writings by gay men on their lives and lifestyles from the archives of the National Lesbian and Gay Survey

ForewordThis book is a companion volume to the National Lesbian and Gay Survey'searlier anthology What a Lesbian Looks Like. The format is similar, the rulesobserved in editing the material are the same. However, here all similarityends. The one factor which unites lesbians and gay men, their attraction totheir own gender, is that thing which irrevocably separates them. Althoughthere are meeting points, the lesbian and gay experience is as different aswomen are from men. Over the years, reading each report that issubmitted to NL&GS, it is tempting to make a generalization: a lesbian incoming to terms with her sexuality heads straight for the public librarieswhile her male counterpart heads straight for the public lavatories. Manywomen feel that they choose their lesbian sexuality; most men believe theyhave been gay since birth or early infancy.Naturally the illegality of sexual acts between men in England and Walesuntil 1967 - and until later in Scotland and Northern Ireland - and, aquarter of a century later, of acts involving young consenting adultsbetween sixteen and twenty-one years of age colours the male perspective.The twenty-fifth anniversary of a partially liberating piece of legislationis a time to reflect on the inequalities of existing law. For five years oftheir adult lives all gay men are supposed to observe a purdah notdemanded of their heterosexual counterparts. Where the one is deemedmature and responsible enough to make the commitment of a legalmarriage at sixteen, and to father children, the other is deemed soimmature and irresponsible that he must be protected by legal statute untilhe is twenty-one. It has been argued that the law exists to protect theyoung and vulnerable. As Keith Alcorn has written, 'Young people arevulnerable because of homophobia, not homosexuality.'Here is the testament of over sixty men, the youngest in his teens, theeldest in his seventies. There is no political 'right-on-ness' in the selection.Indeed, there is mate... Drawn from years of archival materials, this collection represents the experience of over sixty gay men from all walks of life. Among the issues addressed are the experience of coming out, the diversity of gay male relationships, and the impact of HIV and AIDS as a medical, political and social force in the gay community. The contributors discuss in particular their political effacement even in the twentieth century, when there are still numerous attempts to deny freedoms to the gay and lesbian community. This collection debunks the idea of a monolithic gay, male community and reveals instead its diversity in both opinion and life-style. A companion volume to What a Lesbian Looks Like, this anthology is the first step towards a more comprehensive documentation of the lives of gay men. Drawing on the record of over 60 men of all ages, this book discusses themes such as coming out, relationships, the impact of HIV and AIDS, as well as gay politics and the Tory legislation of the 1980s. 60 Britse homoseksuele mannen schrijven over hun (seksuele) ervaringen, coming out, relaties, aids, clause 28 en de Sexual Offences Act van 1967