HANGOUTS LIKE THERE ARE IN NEW YORK ARE VERY RARE. PERHAPS 10 IN AMSTERDAM, ROTTERDAM AND THE HAGUE TOGETHER. AND YOU'LL MEET

VERY FEW WOMEN THERE. IT'S MOSTLY WEN. BUT OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE CLUB: "THE LINK". THE COC HAS A NATIONAL HOUSE IN AMSTERDAM AND SMALLER PLACES IN ROTTERDAM, THE HAGUE, UTRECHT AND SO ON. MEETINGS, DISCUSSIONS, MOVIES, LECTURES AND PERFORMANCES ARE GIVEN HERE. BUT EVERY NIGHT YOU'RE WELCOME UNTIL TWO. THERE IS A BAR AND YOU CAN DANCE. WE HAVE RECORDS AND SOMETIMES A LITTLE BAND. IT IS A PRIVATE CLUB, SO YOU WON'T BE SURPRISED BY UNLUCKY ENCOUNTERS, YOU CAN BECOME A MEMBER AT THE AGE OF 21 AND YOU PAY $6 a

YEAR AND YOUR DRINKS OF COURSE.

PARTIES? OF COURSE. BIRTHDAYS, PROMOTIONS, BIRTHDAY OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP ARE VERY GOOD REASONS TO GIVE A PARTY. BUT NOT EVERYONE CAN DO THIS. IT'S VERY HARD (OR IMPOSSIBLE) TO GET A FREE HOUSE OR A FLAT. SO YOU RENT A ROOM AND TRY TO HIDE YOUR LIFE FROM THE LANDLADY. BECAUSE EVEN IF SHE WOULD ACCEPT THE PHENOMONEN OF HOMOSEXUALITY SHE DOES SURELY NOT ACCEPT "GAY TENANTS"!

I DON'T THINK THERE IS A GREAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A DUTCH AND AN AMERICAN RELATIONSHIP. IT LASTS, OR IT DOESN'T. ABOUT 70% OF OUR GROUP IS ROOMING WITH A FRIEND. IN GENERAL OUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE A LITTLE BIT LIKE A MARRIAGE: GOOD OR BAD, LONG OR SHORT ... WHEN THE SONG IS OVER YOU BREAK UP. ONE OF YOU MOVES OUT (INFIDELITY BEING THE MOST FREQUENT REASON, IT'S MOSTLY THE "LOVING-SOMEONE-ELSE" VHO MOVES OUT) AND AFTER SOME WEEKS YOU MEET EACH OTHER AT THE LINK. YOU SAY "HALLO", GAZE AT THE 'NEW LOVE', NOD WITH APPRECIATION OR FEEL DOWN, BROKEN OR FREE. ANYHOW, IT'S THE SAME MATTER-OF-FACTNESS ALL DUTCH HAVE: YOU DON'T KILL EACH OTHER, DON'T BECOME A DOPE-ADDICT AND DRINK ONLY A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH.

OF COURSE THERE IS STILL THE FAMILY. SOME OF C'S BRING THEIR PARENTS TO THE MEETINGS; SOME HAVE TO HIDE THEIR LIFE FROM THE PARENTS. SOMETIMES IT'S NECESSARY TO ASK A GAY FRIEND TO COVER UP LIKE A BOY FRIEND. SOME ARE EVEN MARRIED TO A GAY BOY, AND EVEN CHILDREN ARE NOT SOMETHING TOO AMAZING.

ALTOGETHER YOU COULD SAY THAT OUR GAY LIFE IS RATHER QUIET. IF THE AMERICAN NOVELS ABOUT GAY LIFE TELL THE TRUTH (WHICH | HARDLY CAN BELIEVE) IT WILL SEEM RATHER DULL TO YOU. BUT BELIEVE ME, IT ISN'T! WE WOULD BE GLAD TO PROVE THIS TO EVERY AMERICAN SISTER WHO COMES TO HOLLAND FOR A HOLIDAY. YOU'LL BE WELCOME!

KARIN STORM

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