We are a mature gay couple that has been together since July 1976.
It certainly has not been easy, but it has been worth the effort. We have a comfortable home in San Antonio, TX. We enjoy antiques, movies, theater, and entertaining. We have been openly gay members of the community for many years.
The photo did actually appear on the front page of Frederick (Maryland) News-Post a few years ago as part of an article concerning gay marriages; (We were quoted accurately in the article that we do not consider our relationship to be a marriage since marriage connotes certain legal and social rights that we, as a gay couple, do not have.)
We are usually identified as part of the "bear" community. In this context a bear is a MAN with a significant growth of facial and body hair. Although some also differentiate bears by their size, we believe a bear can come in many sizes. Beardom is more a matter of mind (and furriness) than of bulk. There is a "code," called the Natural Bears Classification System (NBCS), that has been developed to rate a bear's characteristics. It can be fun to play with although you don't see it used very often today, even on the bear sites.
We have been involved in the gay community on many levels -- including roles as observer, participant, fund-raiser, organizer, entertainer, and activist -- but we do not intend to discuss that involvement in detail on this page. You will find some details in other sections of this site. If you would like to know more about us, send a message to us outlining what you would like to know and why. Who knows, it may lead to an interesting dialogue.
Yes, our family has a rather complex insignia. You saw it featured on the opening page and it is on all of these pages. The meaning of most of the elements should be obvious to anyone familiar with gay and leather community emblems. If you would l ike to read my explanation, simply click on the logo on any page or click here.
