"Values"

I live in Texas.  I live in the DFW Metroplex, in a small city just east of Dallas - but still in Dallas County.

There's a park on Lake Ray Hubbard.  It gets busy on weekends and holidays  --  mostly family picnics.  Folks also go windsurfing there.  So, you often see all sorts of acrobatic, dangerous looking moves.  It's cool.

On your way in, there's a stone building that has both a men's and women's restroom.  Whenever I'd drive past to go to a local marina, I'd see trucks and "family" sedans parked there or nearby.  If two or more cars they would usually be empty.  If one there was usually a man seated in his vehicle.

It took me a while, but eventually I realized that bathroom was a place where men would meet up with other like minded men.  This in a very "Christian", very "Conservative", very "Republican", very HOMOPHOBIC town.  It got so brazen and BUSY that the town eventually closed down this stone building  --  erecting iron gates in front of the entrances.  Now, two portapotties are outside, one to the left, one to the right.

Oddly enough there are no longer cars or trucks parked outside.

This is TEXAS where most folks have little regard for LGBT people.  This is TEXAS where (it seems) most gay guys are married to women, are "good family men", and sneak around to fulfill their (in Texas) "illicit desires".  What a damn shame.

By the way, that particular "tea room" really was becoming a "public nuisance"  --  there were often families and children playing around the area, that was the only place they could go to relieve themselves  --  running into two men going at each other is not my idea of "family fun"  ---  unless your family is very different from mine.

If these closeted gay men had any integrity they would avail themselves of the very thriving LGBT scene in Dallas.  Gay friendly churches, restaurants, bars, clubs, etc, etc.  I think that would be much better than sneaking around as if it were the 1950's   ---   though, in their eyes it might still be the 1950's.

In any case, no matter how repressed, homophobic, frightened, these folks are, it seems they still find a way to fulfill their "illicit desires".

I think it a tragedy for the men, their wives, girlfriends, and children (if any).  Don't you think a world where reality prevails would be much better than the one where so many folks are stone liars, pretending to be something they are not, and never were?