Jack, Jim, and Tom own a Graystone two-flat together. Jack lives downstairs, and Jim and Tom occupy the apartment upstairs. Jack and Tom have known each for twenty years. Tom and Jim became lovers nine years ago. Jack is the eldest at forty-five, Tom is thirty-nine, and Jim, the youngest, is thirty-two. Sometimes the clerks at the convenience store at the end of the block think that Jack is Jim’s father.
Each is from the Chicago area, Tom from the south side, the other two from the suburbs. Tom and Jim are predominantly Irish; Jack describes himself as “white bread.” He says, “I was baptized Methodist, but we were raised Lutheran. The closest thing I could identify with was Norwegian because we went to a Norwegian church.”
Each is a businessman by day: Jack works as a bookkeeper for an insurance firm; Tom is a freelance business consultant; and Jim is the office manager and music director for a church. He says, “I used to sing in the choir, but now I only sing for Jesus—for cash.” Each evening and weekend, theater occupies much of their time and passion. Each man declares that being gay was something he discovered rather than chose. They did, however, choose their current family. “We didn’t follow what our parents did because our parents had limited choices,” Jim says. “People had a lot more choices (after the 1960s) and took advantage of things. We created our own lives.”
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