Old black gay men

For so long, I was gay and embarrassed by it.

The year: Man landed on the moon, the Beatles gave their last concert on top of the Apple building in London, and we mourned Judy Garland’s death. I had a reputation for being the life of the party. I, for sure, had imposter syndrome, but now I look back and see how good I was at my job, and how fulfilling it was.

My sexuality was the thread that connected all those decades, and it was always frayed. At 20, I was certain my future would nightmarishly include a wife and kids. I battled severe depressiontried suicide three timesand was laid off three times.

Just booze. Invisible No More: Black Gay Men Over 50 Are Finding The Silver Lining Some of the men of The Silver Lining Project InMalcolm Reid, 63, had gone to so many funerals that he lost count. I thank God, and my dad, about 50 times a day. At 60, I look back on that career, and marvel.

At 30, I was halfway between being out and being in denial.

Invisible No More Black : Most of my gay and bi friends attended venues that attracted people like me, where nightlife was flourishing and the creative community thrived

I have experienced some [ ]. He remembers being so emotionally exhausted from burying friends he decided during those early days to stop attending funerals altogether. God gave me a big break after I was laid off in my last corporate PR job in I am extremely grateful for getting a second act this late in my life.

This is a place where mature black gay men can come and meet other black gay males for friendship, dating or just casual conversation a place where you. Being 60 provides an opportunity to take an assessment, and look back at where I was on previous milestone birthdays.

But most notable for me was the Stonewall Uprising on June As a gay African-American man, I am an activist and a pioneer.

Mature Older Black Gay : Martin, & Robert E

When it started to unspool, I tried to rewind it, to no avail. My 50s were a jumbled mess. At the same time, I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude. I wasted a lot of time around drinking and its consequences. My 40s, for the most part, were also a mess.

By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Today I turn 60, and perhaps one of the biggest surprises of being 60 is being so happy with who I am. I lost a year out of my life with a nearly deadly brain infection and discovered it after I totaled a rent-a-car.

I drank for 40 years. I never did any drugs. But I am lucky. Instead, it unraveled and got tangled up in melodrama after melodrama. On Mondays, I would count the hours till it was party time again.