I've never been a seperatist, never wanted to be one. I think I understand the reason some are but it would never work for me.

Some of my best friends are men, straight men at that. I like men, a whole lot! I just don't sleep with them is all .... any more. Not a gold star lesbian but that was so long ago it doesn't count. Anyway....

In an urban area and especially here it would be possible to simply dissapear in the Gay community but for one it's just not practical. The best bike mechanic is a man, my favorite restaraunts, book stores ... all run by any number of communities. I'd miss so much, be so limited. That's why I like it here is the diversity.

My friends and even family are all over the map. I'm lucky to be close to my family but also count the family I have chosen, my friends. What they all have in common is personality. I feel lucky to have found a group of friends who have inteligence, share my quirky sense of humor, love of good food, progressive politics, art, music. How could I dissregard them because this one's black, that one's Wiccan, that one's a guy.....they are all my friends.

Also I feel that Ghetto-ization (is that a word?) never works, it issolates and polarizes a community. We see this over and over. Difficult to explain this but I consider myself "twice blessed" as both Gay and a Jew. All of us have our feet in many worlds. I couldn't choose just one culture.