2012, marked my 50th year as an Out Gay Man, the other significant number in my life: I will be 69 this year. I have spend most of those 50 years in San Francisco, and recently finished writing this memoirs, which focuses on growing up in the homophobic religious jungle of prejudice, as a sissy boy, coming out and the early struggles of being gay in 1962, there were no gay role models, it was a world of fear of being found out. In those 50 years of my struggle, I still see the same common treads of hope we still fight for today. 50 years ago, homosexuals were struggling just to congregate in public places; today we are closer than ever to full equality, so our celebration of Pride is still so very important. I think the most important thing to remember about our struggle: like life, it's a journey, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the experience of the journey, its joys and tribulations we have experienced together that gives us winning strength.