The Homosexuals

"The Homosexuals" is a series of interviews with gay men in New York City in the 1970's, a decade that seems almost to have passed from memory, so great is the gulf that AIDS has left between that time and now. First my bias: I am a gay man who is Christian, and undergoing counseling to change my orientation. The author elicits vivid self-portraits from his subjects, portraits of their childhoods, and what being a gay man means to them. The sexual patterns of the time are clear, as most of the men, whether partnered or not, maintain varied sex lives. Some have been enticed by the S & M scene of the day; some are disappointed romantics who found gay life to be very different than they had imagined. Those who have long-term partners often report that they no longer have a sexual relationship. As a forty-year-old, I can appreciate how much more difficult it was to be "out" in those years. It took courage for the men in the book to speak so openly of their lives, and it's sad to think that many, living in that time and place, probably fell victim to AIDS. I think this book would be valuable to counselors in ex-gay ministries, if they can look beyond the frank language, and look at the hearts of the men who were willing to open a window into their lives.