Look inside and you might find “The Outsider Trigger.” Many people fear being alone and socially isolated. However, due to early experiences of feeling different from their families and classmates, gay men may be especially vulnerable to the wounding of this trigger.
One of the most enduring societal beliefs about gay men is that they will “grow old alone.” Look even deeper at the culture and you may find a classic stereotype of the gay man: an old, pale, lonely, creepy-looking guy who might be a pedophile. The visual of this looks something like Monty Burns, owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant on The Simpsons.
This is dark material. On a conscious level, few American gay men believe this stuff anymore. However, on an unconscious level, it may have seeped in more than anyone wants to acknowledge.
