Gay bars used to be safe spaces for people like us to be
ourselves and to find others like us. Now everyone just
goes on to Grindr. But what about the 20 year old kid
who's not looking for sex but rather community, for a
connection with something that helps him understand
himself? Or the 60 year old man who's looking for the
same?
What happens to that shared culture? If being gay only describes who we love and who we f*ck but not also how
we encounter the world, then gay culture and gay
community would start to disappear. And we still need
that community.
Most queer people don't come from queer families, so
the only way we can really learn about our shared
history is from talking to the older generations, which
I guess is where the idea of a chosen family comes in.
Attitude Magazine Interviewer
As a gay-friendly person wanting to know more about the LGBT world, at first I was afraid of making mistakes or causing offence. But I soon learnt that there are no 'silly' questions - the journey towards better understanding means being open about what we don't know and sharing our experiences.
Susanne, 47
When I came out to my family they were not happy and life was hard for a while. But I found the strength to believe in myself and slowly they began to understand that the gay world was not the dark place they had thought it was. Now they accept me for who I am and most of all they just want me to be happy.
Paul, 22
