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!decvax!harpo!eagle!allegra!root From: root@allegra.UUCP (root) Newsgroups: net.motss Subject: forwarded message Message-ID: <2279@allegra.UUCP> Date: Sun, 12-Feb-84 04:10:09 EST Article-I.D.: allegra.2279 Posted: Sun Feb 12 04:10:09 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 15-Feb-84 04:36:27 EST Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill Lines: 29 People have been talking a lot about coming out. Coming out to everyone is a big step, but what is disapointing is that many gays cannot come out to other gays. Specifically, I am thinking of the gay talk group at the place where I work. It is doing well, but the number of people in it is clearly a very tiny fraction of the gay population at our lab (thousands of people work here!). I know one case of a guy who met another member of his department at a gay bar. The other fellow was very upset and started avoiding the first guy completely. I guess I was like that as an undergraduate. I had the chance to attend gay-student meetings but chose instead to just feel miserable (even thought my roommate and I were lovers). Here is my advice to isolated gay people: 1. Check out counceling services at work. I know at AT&T Bell Labs, they are very good at helping gay people and will also get you in touch with gay therapists or with the gay talk group if you want to. Of course, they are highly discrete. 2. Get in touch with the talk groups, if there are any. They are also quite discrete. It really helps a lot to know other people; to recognize a few faces in the hallways. Of course, the first step is to face the fact that you are gay. If you choose to see a counceller, they will let you take that step very slowly. "Lance"