Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site allegra.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!harpo!eagle!allegra!root
From: root@allegra.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.motss
Subject: forwarded message
Message-ID: <2019@allegra.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 17-Nov-83 04:10:19 EST
Article-I.D.: allegra.2019
Posted: Thu Nov 17 04:10:19 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 19-Nov-83 00:49:20 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 32

When should you come out?

A friend of mine recently got a security clearance.  It was hell!  He
told them he was gay, so someone from the government came and asked him
a whole series of degrading questions ("do you have sex in public?",
"are you dominant or passive?", etc.).  On the bright side though, his
friends in the company and his boss were very supportive and shared his
indignation on being asked these questions.

I have never had problems, and all of my friends know who "Lance" is.
Then again, all my friends are liberal scientists with Ph.D.'s.  You
have to judge whether the people you are around are "cool".  I don't
make a point of telling people I am gay, but if I am open, my close
friends tend to find out (sometimes by accident, the technical term for
which is "dropping your beads".)

Then comes the problem of how to meet people when you are not "out".
You can try wearing an earring, but I swear no one knows which ear it
goes in.  ("Gee, I think it depends on what coast you are on.") If
you're in Greenwich Village, try asking directions to "Uncle Charlie's"
(I prefer "The Ninth Circle" personally.).  There are the standard
lines too:

You ask:	"Do you have the time?"
Straight:	"Sure, it's five o'clock."
Gay:		"Sure."

So, are you all getting in touch or just reading netnews?  What are you
waiting for, your 80th birthday!

				An All American Boy,
				"Lance"