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A few younger gays, especially in big cities, have never hidden their identities. Benefiting from the progress of the movement, they have lived openly as homosexuals since they first realized that they were gay But they are a tiny minority of a minority Says Robin MacCormack, a gay assistant to Boston Mayor Kevin White: "I am just one very fortunate person. In those buildings in the financial district and all around the city, there are people who go to work every day wondering: Is this the day I'm going to let something slip? Is this the day I'm going to lose career chances or even my job?' It's a costume party, for gays and straights alike. Sometimes it's come as you are, but most often it's come as you aren't."
Even among those gays who have decided to reveal their sexuality, very few are all the way out of the closet. Some reveal their homosexuality to a few trusted friends but not to parents; some to parents but not to grandparents; some to families and friends but not employers. They are never sure of the reaction they will get. A young San Francisco attorney who handles the account of a major oil company for one of the city's most prestigious law firms finally steeled himself to reveal his homosexuality to one of his senior partners at dinner. The boss said he did not care, but cautioned the lawyer not to tell the other senior partners just yet. Elaine Noble, another assistant to Boston Mayor White, belongs to a 200-member organization of Boston-area lesbian professionals-bankers, lawyers, stockbrokers, ad people. She is one of merely a handful of members who have openly proclaimed their sexual orientation.
About the only way that homosexuals could find companionship until a few years ago was in gay bars or cruising certain streets. (One result: the rate of alcoholism among homosexuals is estimated at 20% to 30%, three to four times the rate among all adult Americans.) Today Washington, D.C., has more than 80 homosexual organizations, and Boston, with 70. even has one for overweight lesbians.
These organizations generally divide into two types. Many are primarily meeting, counseling and support groups for homosexual lawyers, doctors, businessmen, teachers, whatever. A person calling such a group will be put in touch with other gay males or lesbians with whom he or she can arrange quiet dinners and talks about professional or social problems. The organizations are particularly helpful for older gays who have no desire to patronize bars or discos catering to homosexuals, and whose life-style is far removed from the tight-jeans set.
The other type of homosexual organization is the community service group. For the religiously inclined, there is a national gay church: the Metropolitan Community Church, headquartered in Los Angeles and including 80 congregations throughout the U.S. In Boston, the Homophile Community Health Service provides psychological counseling for gays who fear that straight doctors will tell them that the source of all gays' problems is their homosexuality.