Summer 1998

So here I am today. I never thought I'd be able to say it outloud, but I'm a gay man. I've got a long way to go, but I'm on the road to liking the man I am, I think. If you'd told me a year ago how out I am today, I would have laughed--or hit you. I'm the same man I've always been, just a little more honest and, according to my brother and his lover, the happiest they've ever seen me.

Everyday, I'm a little more out. It's scary sometimes, but it's also invigorating at times. Early on, a friend encouraged (no, told) me to join the Triangle Gay Men's Chorus where I could meet "normal" gay men. TGMC has been very good for me because it's gently nudged me further and further out of the closet. I've also begun to do a little volunteering on AIDS fundraisers and hope to become more involved in social action.

Coming out is a process. The process has begun...