Old and young gay

Many gay bars cater to younger, attractive crowds, leaving older men to the fringes of the social scene. Then there’s the HR counselor Alan, in “Human Resources,” who lives in a bungalow in Mattapan with another single gay roommate in his 60s. Besides, there’s a fair amount of unrequited attraction among his characters, and all of the sexually charged scenes, whether consummated or not, are really about character.

The book focuses on old age, and the gay men in its pages reflect frequently on the past. “These are the men I love, and they love me,” he says. And the present, in life and in fiction, is open-ended.

This page is available to subscribers. Mason is in the closet, having been married to a lesbian for 44 years and faithful — emotionally, at least — till her death.

For Felsenthal, age isn’t a barrier to love; rather, it enhances it.

Yet, the stigmatization is not limited to within the gay community.

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. But to the gay men in Gambone’s stories, the path to self-knowledge and emotional fulfillment is filled with thorny obstacles and, in some cases, dead ends.

Now retired, he spent his life teaching high-school English and college-level writing in the Boston area. Yet for people like Felsenthal, these older men are the ones who bring them comfort, stability, and a sense of belonging. Society at large often misinterprets relationships between younger and older individuals, especially when they involve men.

Our goal is to help others feel less isolated and encourage open communication and support among those in similar situations.

 

Feel free to explore various topics below about finding an older or younger partner, navigating age gap relationships, and much more. Though much of gay life after Stonewall is defined by sexual liberation, Gambone is looking for a broader kind of fulfillment.

Indeed, the stories in this collection are tied together by more than just age, orientation, and proximity to the South End.

Religion often comes into play, as does social striving and the effects of gentrification. “I’ve never been drawn to young, fit men,” says Felsenthal, “My desire has always been for those whose lives are etched in their faces and hands.” This attraction, while genuine, subjects him to judgment, often branded as having “daddy issues” or worse, a “gold-digger.” However, Felsenthal is adamant: his love for older men is not transactional but rooted in a deep connection that transcends appearances.

A Community Within a Community

Felsenthal describes the challenges of navigating a gay scene that largely dismisses intergenerational love.

Felsenthal notes that, unlike heterosexual intergenerational couples, which may be met with skepticism but some acceptance, gay intergenerational couples often face harsh scrutiny. People often ask, “What will you do if he gets sick?”—a question Felsenthal finds both insulting and absurd. He is strikingly efficient with detail and description, offering just enough about clothes, décor, and appearance to enhance one’s understanding of character and setting but not so much as to create an indulgent soup of symbolism.