Sorry for the delay in responding. Come out only as you feel you need to. There is no rush in life as long as your are happy in your life and within yourself.
Unfortunately I was outed when I was arrested as a teen while working the streets as a male hustler. My mom and brother came to the jail to bail me out. Since then, I have lived my life as a proud gay man. I don't stand on my soap box and declare my sexuality to everyone that passes by; however, if I'm confronted with the question, I will answer truthfully.
If you read my intro, you will see that I was married at one time and had two children. I had a high profile administrative position at a prominent hospital. My partner at the time also worked at the same institution in a different department and our relationship was not a secret. I was summoned into the CEO's office one day and given the ultimatum to end my relationship or find work elsewhere. He said the hospital was trying to develop a more family oriented reputation. That same day my partner was fired. I panicked. Our relationship deteriorated after that until we separated. I became a basket case after all the turmoil at work and the end of a nine year relationship with a man I loved. Then, Linda came to the rescue. She had worked in the same office as my partner. She offered to marry me if it meant me not losing my job. Dave, my partner, and I separated in March of 1975. Linda and I married in July of the same year. Along the years we were married we did manage to have two children. (Not to get off the subject here but there is a thread recently posted about straight guys having gay sex. In my case I was a gay man having straight sex.) When we eventually divorced my daughter was in the third grade and my son in the fourth. When we announced to our kids that mommy and daddy were separating we also told them that daddy was gay. Miraculously, they both said that they already knew that. It is when I learned of the power of a child's mind and intuition. During the divorce settlement we were awarded joint custody, but at the request of the children, my place was listed as their main residence and I was given primary custody. They are adults now with children of their own. Our family is a very close knit one. As a matter of fact, Linda lives right door to me. Regardless of the turmoils I went through, I am blessed where I am today.
God bless you, Dan.
P.S. When I write long posts such as this I usually copy them and add them to my journals. I keep thinking I may write a book someday. Linda and I have always joked that if we wrote a book, it would be filed in the fiction section 'cause no one would believe our story is real. lol
