When I was an impressionable boy, the only homosexual stereotypes in popular circulation were the likes of Larry Grayson (“Shut that door!”) and John Inman (“I’m free!”). Homosexuality was primarily associated with the comic ridicule of “poofs”, “pansies” and “sissies”. As well as influencing me, that image probably discouraged many youths and young men from acknowledging or expressing their true sexual orientation. Fortunately, the situation has moved forward significantly in the years since, with brave and emotionally strong men leading the way. Over the last decade or so, an important contribution has been made through the autobiographies of rugby player Gareth Thomas, soccer player Robbie Rogers and soldier James Wharton. By their openness and bravery, such men have helped to broaden the public perception of how homosexual men present and behave. In 2019, Gareth Thomas even went public about his diagnosis and living with HIV: a true leader of men! Hugh B
