To Ron: Once a month the neighborhood (straight and gay) gets together and we all go out for dinner. Sometimes the crowd is as big as 16 people and other times, it's just a small gathering, but there is always at least one straight couple that is there to support us. We all talk about everything. One of their comments was, "You're just like we are, only you go to bed with a person of the same gender than we do." A smart man. I also work in a place where most of them automatically know that if they invite me to an office function that Ted always comes with me. -Richard (At Right: Gay or Straight sex is a happy act between two people.)

To Ron: I'm pretty much in the same situation you have with your neighbors. I have straight friends, who have known me for years, they have to know I'm Gay by now, but the subject is rarely discussed, neither pro or con. They don't discuss their opinion, and I try to speak in general terms about myself with them. The only person who I feel comfortable discussing aspects of my Gay life with is my doctor, who is fairly comfortable with the subject. I have no friends with whom I discuss my personal, sexual parts of my life who are themselves NOT Gay. Yours, Mark

From Ron: Mark, thanks for your good letter. I could easily come out to my neighbors as they surely know. We make jokes about it all the time, but it's a secret too good to keep even if they were just saying that they love their gay neighbors to someone who might not be so gay friendly.

Also, if a gay man can not be out to his doctor, he should find another doctor. You just can't say anything to shock a doctor. Once I told a doctor that I was gay, and when he was not comfortable with it, I changed doctor to one who was very accepting, and in the end came out to me that he was gay. What great office hugs I got from him.