Mar 27, 2007Quickie Link: Gay Elders' Courage --by Richard Rothstein
By Kyleovision
Edith, a Mexican-American woman, came out in 1946 Los Angeles at the age of 14. When her mother denied the young teen the clothes she wanted, Edith took a job cleaning other poeple's homes so that she could buy herself slacks and shirts and dress herself in a way that said "this is who I am."
...For over 40 years, Ralph and Tom had been inseparable and in the closet both professionally (teachers) and to their families. Their powerful and enduring love had been a secret. Old habits and fears die hard and the fears associated with being gay during most of the 20th Century made it impossible for them to even consider coming out even today.
...Bill is a 70 year old HIV+ gay man in St. Louis, Mo. He lives on Social Security and Medicaid benefits and several programs and benefits for people who have AIDS. As Bill has grown increasingly frail, he worries about how much longer he can live independently and he worries about another looming problem with life-shattering implications...
