Graeme

Thank you very much! I try to not be too predictable, though sometimes I can't help it -- I'm a romantic at heart.

I remember seeing a similar letter many years ago in relation to a wine listed as being French Colombard. Some lawyers were threatening legal action because the wine in question was not from France. In that particular case, the people being sued came up with a wonderful letter pointing out that that was the name of the grape variety, and commiserating with the lawyers regarding french fries, french kissing, the movie The French Connection and lots of other items. Unfortunately, I can't find that letter online because it was a similar masterpiece to unreasonable over-policing of trademarks.

Vince was apprehensive. He reached over and took hold of Matt’s hand for reassurance. It was two days before the wedding, but, at the moment, he was worried about the bucks night that was about to begin. The previous two weeks had disappeared so fast that Vince almost suspected a time warp. Between university exams and wedding preparations, he and Matt had been run off their feet. The night of his birthday still brought a smile to his face, but everything else was a blur. Warren started his fo

Thank you! I wouldn't say the Councillor Young considers himself above the law, but more that he's used to twisting the law to suit himself.

Vince made a point of staring at his watch. “Sorry, I’ve got to go check on the calves.” He rose to his feet. Matt jumped up. “I’ll help you.” The two guys sped out of the living room before their mothers could say anything. They were almost out the kitchen door when they heard Mrs. Aster call out. “Make sure you’re back before lunchtime. We have to finish this today!” Vince glanced at Matt. “I don’t think we fooled them.” Matt gave a wry smile. “Nope. They let us get away with it, though,

I'm still waiting for Josh in Jacob's French class, but I suspect he'll find a way out of it -- maybe feigning being sick. Jacob is showing an incredible amount of dedication to his brother. Trying to deal with Josh's problems in a way that Josh will be able to continue. I'm not sure exactly what's going on with Philip, but it appears he's at least partially disgusted by Mr. Adams's homophobia. Whether that's on principle or because he's gay/bi or has a friend/relative who is gay/bi, we don't know. Maybe later in the story.... I don't think Jacob's approach with Parker is going to work out how he hoped. Taking a parenting point of view, changing behaviour takes time and persistence, and the behaviour usually gets worse before the child gives up. Parker is going to resent what Jacob did to him, and the abuse is probably going to escalate as a consequence, though it may become indirect abuse (ie. not attributable) instead of direct. Looking forward to seeing what happens next!

If you're asking why is it difficult for the current generation, then I'm not the right person to answer. I can only answer for my own generation. I never came out to my parents. I was married with kids before I truly accepted myself and that's the number one reason I was in the closet for so long. I just couldn't accept the truth. I knew it -- I've known I've been attracted to guys since my early teen years -- but it took me until I was forty before I accepted it as truly being part of who I am. My father had already passed away by that time. I came out to my wife, and that was an extremely traumatic event. She felt betrayed. She was so traumatised that she considered suicide. To give her a support network to help her cope, I came out to her family, apart from the nieces and nephews. My mother would probably have accepted me, but I didn't see any point in trying to find out. I wasn't going to change -- it's been almost ten years since I came out to my wife and I'm not leaving her. Telling my mother would have done nothing except potentially cause heartache. So my mother passed away without my telling her I'm gay. I've considered telling my brothers and sisters, but, again, I don't see the point. What benefit does it provide? If one of my nieces or nephews were to come out, I'd probably be there as support, but until there's a point, I don't see why I need to. The primary reason I never accepted myself until I was forty was simple -- I was scared. I had no support network when I was younger. The only option available to me was to stay in the closet or come out and tell people. I had no halfway option. Today, the Internet allows a gay teenager to open up and reach out to others, while protecting their anonymity. This allows them to build up confidence and develop a support network while staying hidden. Those options weren't available when I grew up. The only option I as a teenager was a couple of anonymous sexual encounters with strangers encountered in public toilets. Not exactly the sort of thing that encouraged me to come out. When I went to university, there was a small gay society, but I couldn't build up the courage to approach them because, as I said above, it was all or nothing. If I approached them, I was out of the closet, even if only to a few strangers. I couldn't bring myself to trust them enough to do that. That's it for me -- why it was hard for my generation, and why I never came out when I finally had the courage to do so.

There's an old saying about walking a mile in another person's shoes. Jacob's been getting a real education into what that means -- more than Josh, I think. Jacob wants to do something to help, but he's recognised that most, if not all, of the work has to come from Josh, not him. An interesting chapter Thank you!

I think it's a fairly typical temporary political alliance. The various factions don't agree on all matters, but they agree on the desired outcome. Different groups take different actions to achieve that outcome, based on their own inclinations, with hopefully everything coming together in the end.

[Dan Cronin] Dreams are important. They don’t always come true, and sometimes when they do, they turn into nightmares. Even so, it’s important to keep dreaming. You never know when they’re going to come true and just make your day. I had dreams of Greg almost every night since I met him. Until near the very end, I thought I’d never have a chance of turning them into reality. Now I’m one of the happiest people in the world What I didn’t realise until afterwards was that it was the very act o

[Garret French] I presume you have a few queries. Rather than listen to the same questions over and over again, I’ve prepared a few standard answers: No, I’m not gay. Just because I’m a hairdresser, that does not make me gay. No, the “Garret Charm” cannot be taught. You’ve either got, or you haven’t. Yes, I’m still single, though rarely without company. Wow! That’s an offer that’s hard to refuse, but unfortunately I’m going to have to turn it down. Prior commitments, I’m sorry. Very funny. P

[Kelly Reed] What do you want? I’m busy and I don’t have time for idle chit-chat. I’ve got another guy to interview in five minutes time regarding a porn-star postion, and from his photo, he looks hot! Now, get lost and let me get back to work.... Please use the BACK button to return to the main story.

[Paul Wilson] Shit! I’ve just found out what this has all been about. I thought it was going to just a normal story from Greg’s point of view. No one would know what I was thinking, and Chris had made Graeme promise that we’d never be required to give any details on what had happened to me. Now I found out that Graeme’s been poking inside my head and telling everyone what I’ve been thinking! This is too much. I need my privacy. Sometimes, the fact that only Chris and my therapist know is the

[Chris Everington] Greg can be so cute. He’s just come in and told Dan that there was something urgent that they needed to discuss in their room. From the way he was avoiding eye contact with everyone, I don’t expect there to be a lot of words in that discussion. It’s probably just as well that this is finishing here. Those two don’t need people spying on what is effectively their honeymoon period. Hmmmm. Where has Paul gotten to? I think there are some things we need to discuss too.... Pl

[Diane Rider] This has to have been one of the best deals I ever made. I had one chapter of stress to get through, and then spent most of the rest of the time being wined and dined by Rob. I still think that little brother of mine deserved to be kicked around a bit more than he was. After the way he made a fool of me, making me think that he’s not gay, I think he got off pretty lightly. On second thoughts, Greg did everything he could to avoid messing up my wedding day, so maybe I’ll let him

[Rob Skitter] I just want to state for the record that I didn’t want to go to that wet T-shirt competition. Graeme made me do it. I would have preferred to have returned back to our room for a romantic evening. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.... Please use the BACK button to return to the main story.

[Chris Everington] This is certainly a day to remember. First, the morning phone call from Rob, telling me to get over here as soon as I could. Once I was at his parents’ house, he and Diane told us the news, and Rob asked me to be his best man. Now, Greg comes out to us, and announces Dan’s his boyfriend. This puts everything that has gone on in a completely new perspective. Were the vibes that Paul had been picking up earlier just those of a young man deep in the closet, rather than someone

[Paul Wilson] But.... How...? Surely not.... What is going on? Please use the BACK button to return to the main story.

[Chris Everington] I thought Paul was over this, but it’s clear I was wrong. Paul’s got an appointment with his counsellor for next week, which I thought was soon enough. Dan showing up here with Greg wasn’t something I’d anticipated. Paul looks like he’s ready to physically assault Dan.... Please use the BACK button to return to the main story.

[Paul Wilson] What is he doing here? This has to be the last place I ever expected to see that slimeball. I was pleasantly surprised to see Greg walk through the door, but when Dan came out, I immediately saw red. Something has happened, I just know it, and I’m afraid for Greg. Dan must have twisted Greg’s mind. There’s no other reason I can think of for why the slimeball is here. Please use the BACK button to return to the main story.

[Dan Cronin] I’ve talked about this to a number of guys, and for some it was the easiest thing in the world, and for others it was the hardest. Everyone is different and how they tell their parents is a very personal thing. Greg’s already told me how his parents were disappointed that he didn’t go to University. I’m not surprised he can’t tell them that he’s gay. It took me almost a dozen attempts before I told mine. This is just his first try. Please use the BACK button to return to the main

[Rob Skitter] Who is that? He looks familiar, but I can’t remember from where. He seems to know us, though, or at least he’s giving that impression. Greg seems to know him.... Please use the BACK button to return to the main story.

[Rob Skitter] I was so nervous that night. I’ve spent almost three solid weeks repairing the damage I’d done with one careless action. If I had to take something positive out of all of this, it was that it made me really understand how much Diane means to me. I couldn’t stand the thought of her disappearing out of my life. I set everything up with the restaurant staff ahead of time. As I proposed, I saw the head waiter watching anxiously from their little cubicle in the middle of the tram. He

[Diane Rider] The bastard! I know he’s only joking, but I’d been hoping for a bit more of a reaction than that. After all, it’s not something that happens every day. Little brothers can be a pain, sometimes. Despite that, I couldn’t live without him, though. He means almost as much to me as Rob does. Please use the BACK button to return to the main story.

[Diane Rider] Greg’s here! This is absolutely fantastic. I didn’t think I could survive until tonight. I’d already told Mum and Dad that Rob and I would pick him up from the bus station, because I wanted to tell him the news as soon as I could. I’ve already tried his mobile phone several times, but he’s never been good about leaving it on. I wonder why he’s back early? Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not as important as the news I’ve got to tell him.... Please use the BACK button to return to