Roy: Garth's lack of health insurance is really hurting us right now. He's unemployed, and the State of Wisconsin, my employer for more than 25 years, doesn't have domestic partnership benefits. Garth: I was forced to apply for General Assistance for medical. I'm also getting Food Stamps. Roy: How does the 30 years that Garth and I have been in a loving relationship hurt heterosexual marriages? Why are we viewed as a threat? Garth: Attitudes toward gay people have improved drastically in the last 20 or 30 years, but there's still a lot of fear. People are afraid of things they don't know about. Roy: Twenty years ago, we'd be picked on when we went to the supermarket or the mall. Now, it's no big deal. But after what we've gone through, you learn to be secretive. I suppose that's why I still have that tendency. Garth: Except that time we went out to a nice restaurant and you told the waitress that we were there to celebrate our 25th anniversary. I almost fell out of my chair! Roy: I suppose that was my coming out! Our waitress was very friendly and we were surrounded by straight couples celebrating. It just came to me to tell her the truth. She even brought us a special treat for dessert.
Together since November 7, 1976