Being gay can present many problems in relation to defining who you are and standing up to admit that you are part of a minority.  There are of course the issues of understanding yourself and feeling part of a wider community whilst developing independently.  Some of us may feel disassociated with certain factions of the gay community; sometimes we feel totally outside of 'what it is to be gay'.  However, perhaps one of the toughest things to grasp and grapple with is being attracted to somebody and then being able to cope with that.  Of course attraction is universal and transcends sexuality; however for young gay people - with so much occupying their thoughts anyway - the idea of committing to another person can be daunting.

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Yes it’s that time of year again; the sun is shining and everybody is outside enjoying themselves. It is almost officially summer and with the summer comes the many Gay Pride events and marches the world over. From London and Manchester and New York to Sydney Gay men and women take to the streets to wave that rainbow flag and stand up to be counted. However, how representative of the whole gay community are those who join in at these events? Are we as gay youth interested in what Gay Pride has to say? Ultimately, do we need to dance and sing in the streets to prove our worth; prove our pride?

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You may or may not be aware that as a gay man you are unable to donate blood in America, the United Kingdom and in fact most Western countries; with the exception of parts of Spain and Switzerland. However, perhaps you have received a leaflet imploring you to donate your blood and ease the global shortage in blood supplies? You may also have seriously considered going along to the next local blood drive and feeling part of society by gladly donating? Unfortunately though for all gay men who have had sex with another man since 1977 they are banned from donating blood for the entirety of their life.

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Perhaps it is something of a generalisation but most gay men feel comfortable surrounding themselves with plenty of “girlfriends” or indeed other gay men but tend to avoid familiarity with straight men. It is true that there are plenty of straight men to whom a friendship with a gay man would feel threatening.  What if the gay man was to make a pass at his straight friend, or perhaps by being friends with a gay man it means instantly that he is bound to be deeply sexually attracted to his straight male friend?  However, I don’t believe that gay men wish to avoid friendships with straight men, nor do I believe that these friendships should be neglected.  There is something very special about a gay straight male bond, especially as it encourages acceptance and respect outside of the gay community.  However, is it possible that in the eyes of a straight man, homosexuality is socially contagious?

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