As a youth growing up in Billings, Montana, I knew nothing about counterculture of gays living among us. The idea of two men kissing (and more) was abhorrent to me (still is), though two women … well, another story. In retrospect I think a good friend from my youth was a repressed homosexual. In his family, such behavior would have led to shunning, maybe even violence from the Dad. I came to think that repressed homosexuals can be dangerous, as the pent-up rage often translates to violence, domestic and otherwise.
I knew a woman (through my then-wife’s workplace) who married a man who after the vows went completely asexual on her, leading to divorce for cause, in that he could not/would not perform. I knew of a man, son of a prominent businessman, who might be thought of as a flamer, openly gay and probably trying to embarrass his dad with (perceived) abhorrent behavior. In the 1960s and 70s, this was all par for the course, the way it was. It was tough to be LGBT.
Prior to discussing the Streisand Effect, I am reminded of radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger, heard on weekdays on SiriusXM channel 111. She is currently 75 years old and going strong. Back before the proliferation of Sirius channels she was usually heard on AM radio. The program was very popular. Even as I was a liberal at the time, and her advice very conservative, I liked her and had very little trouble with her advice, which was stern, sensible and straightforward.
