This invisibility and isolation makes stumbling into a gay bar (or discovering a hookup app) akin to opening a treasure trove and finding that it’s yours, all yours. Where are cartoons with two little boy dogs sharing a spaghetti noodle, falling in love? Not on children’s TV. When we see those same cartoons, we understand a jarring truth: We are out of sync with the world. Every message they’ve been taught through childhood - when the cartoon boy dog meets the cartoon girl dog and the girl dog bats a pair of absurd eyelashes - cues them to have sex. As soon as puberty hits, bam! They’re fucking. Your straight peers may start early - in high school or earlier. They have no idea how to prepare you for the eros embraced by many members of our community or the risks that come with it. The amount of sex some gay men have (and the ease with which it can be acquired) is preposterous to most straight folks - including your friends and family. You might not realize it now, but you’re growing into a culture that celebrates sex.
