It's so familiar, what was said and what wasn't said. When I came out to my father in in the mid-1980s he, a former Air Force officer, said he'd "known guys who did this" or words to that effect and was OK with me. I didn't ask more about it, he didn't tell, and we went on with the business of having a more open and honest relationship. I actually took him and his girlfriend out to dinner at a DC gay bar/restaurant. They were fine, as far as I could tell.

There was no mention of his being Catholic and going to church every Sunday and my being brought up that way, nor the Church's teachings. It was the same thing as when he and I had talked about masturbation in the 1970s. Part of the Catholic heritage, I think, recognized that "the flock" did not always live by the admonitions from on high but also lived by their own conscience and decisions, whether sub rosa or vocally. That became even moreso after Vatican II in the early 60s.

Now of course our culture celebrates openness and freedom and people are urged to be increasingly public about who they are and what they do. Mass media is part, and the Internet, and especially the explosion of social media. I wonder sometimes how much we've abandoned of those "secret" private spaces where we could once explore and try things with being identified and labeled or labeling ourselves.

Enough with that, time to get on with my other work for all of you on this site.

Bob

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In some respects "don't ask don't tell" was not just a military stance - it was the way of the world for generations. "Uncle Bob" wasn't gay - he was your "bachelor uncle".

I am sure my parents had their suspicions why Steve and I spent the night at each others house so much - but it was never talked about.



A couple of years ago a friend down the street who is VERY Catholic and I were talking about TV and she mentioned how much she and her husband laughed at an episode of Parenthood where the teenage son was taking long and frequent showers... as their son did the same thing. I made some stupid comment about "but that is a Catholic no-no" and she just said "we gave up on that one a long time ago - you pick your battles" and I thought for a woman who has told me she and her husband waited for their wedding night I was glad she was not trying to go crazy with ancient dogma for her son....

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This is supposed to be a dirty stories section??????

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Got a story for us, Goof?

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It is not just fiction stories - it is often tales of things have happened - which can lead to some fun discussions -

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Many of here have been hanging around these boards for a while now.

We have read a number of dirty stories, too. One way or the other, a guy bumps into another guy, (or a group), and some sexual action invariably takes place. If it doesn't, it ain't dirty.

After a while, everyone starts looking around and exploring the contexts. This is, actually, the juicy bit. The fact that the two guys got together and fucked, is pretty much a given. The events that led to the encounter, and what happened past the actual act is what keeps many people coming back to the stories section.

KD

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