Old gay man

But friendship? We’re interested in quickening the soul.”

Why This Matters to You:

• These aren’t isolated success stories

• They’re blueprints for possibility

• They show what’s possible when you stop playing by old rules

The Uncomfortable Truths We Need to Talk About

Let’s Talk About Robert

At 63, he got blocked on three dating apps in one week.

Why?

So will your life.

Not every older gay man wants to be a mentor or a muse—but many are just waiting for someone to care enough to ask.

Maybe, just maybe, the next chapter of your story starts with a freezer aisle, a room to rent, or a slice of Dutch apple pie gone wrong.

Because every now and then, the best stories don’t begin with “Once upon a time.” They begin with “Hey…you okay?

Not for anyone else — for me. And the present, in life and in fiction, is open-ended.

This page is available to subscribers. Bring age diversity to your characters. These threads survived Reagan, AIDS, Anita Bryant, and years of being called “friend” instead of “partner.”

A character shaped by that history?

Listen to it.”

5. But Gambone’s thrust is the present. “I found a family instead.”

The results transformed lives:

• Started with 5 members reading gay classics

• Grew into a 30-person-strong community

• Spawned multiple sub-groups and activities

• Created a model for senior gay social groups

Pro Tip: “Don’t wait for the perfect plan,” Carlos advises.

Or love. So we’ll build our own spaces.”

The Hard Truth? Live it. Survived Reagan. Mason is in the closet, having been married to a lesbian for 44 years and faithful — emotionally, at least — till her death. These fictional boomers are both proving and disproving the cliché that “old age isn’t for sissies.”

Gambone is an extraordinarily good writer, though his work has usually been relegated to the queer lit sections of bookstores and websites because of his subjects.

The effect is interesting but not climactic. You know, when Judy Garland played on the jukebox, and someone they loved finally said yes.

As a writer, you want depth? They’re the ones who carry the torch.

So light up your work with characters who’ve been around the block—and still own it.

---

Your Story Gets Better When You Listen to Theirs

Younger queer writers have every right to tell their own truths—and they do so with brilliance.

There’s also the letter carrier Sam and his younger husband, Daryl, in “Big Boy,” who encounter a wealthy couple, Monroe and Richard, as they walk through the South End. Sam and Daryl have an open relationship within certain boundaries, which these new friends end up challenging. Brutal.