TOW #21: "The Epidemic of Gay Loneliness"

This article took an extremely different perspective on the issues that pervade the LGBT community, which made it particularly interesting to read and to think about. The evidence that is used throughout the essay, much of it anecdotal, is also powerful and extremely heavy at some points. In treating common issues of mental illness, drug use, and HIV infection in the gay community as a singular, deeply intertwined issue, the author sheds a new light on the way we face these problems in the future. It also impacts readers heavily by adding a lasting message - LGBT people may never feel like they're not different from other people. Instead, it is acceptance and working with differences that leads to a healthy and happy life.

One of the most effective parts of the article is the way it does not shy away from telling raw and emotional stories of gay men. Many of the author's friends are interviewed and describe in detail the struggles they've faced throughout their lifetime, some using real names, others using pseudonyms. The details of attempted suicides, drug overdoses, and social isolation are jarring enough to show readers the dark side that comes with being LGBT. Placing these in the introduction of the article proves effective - not only to grab the audience's attention, but also to lead into the main argument - as Hobbes later interviews psychologists and researchers in an attempt to explain these destructive behaviors.

Another effective part of the article is the use of statistics, often coinciding with these emotional retellings from friends of the author. The statistics do not stand alone, and lead into the various theories proposed by Hobbes for the common feeling of isolation shared by gay men. As Hobbes discusses how "[Between 2004 and 2005] gay men showed a 37 percent increase in mood disorders, a 42 percent increase in alcoholism and a 248 percent increase in generalized anxiety disorder," he follows it up by a statement that no legal rights of gay people actually changed between those years. It was a symbolic change in society's beliefs that was outwardly shown through constitutional amendments defining marriage as between a man and a woman. This clear portrayal of the damaging effects a heteronormative society can have on gay people is created through the incorporation of research and statistics.

However, Hobbes does not end the article on a sad note, rather, a positive one. He uses a quote from a gay man interviewed in the article to shine light on the hope that remains within the LGBT community. “For gay people, we’ve always told ourselves that when the AIDS epidemic was over we’d be fine. Then it was, when we can get married we’ll be fine. Now it’s, when the bullying stops we’ll be fine. We keep waiting for the moment when we feel like we’re not different from other people. But the fact is, we are different. It’s about time we accept that and work with it.” This provides a completely different outlook for viewers, and while it doesn't take away from the heavy information displayed in the beginning, it does show how a change in attitude may help to address the problems facing us in the future.