The letters I receive from gay men who are concerned about censorship in their own community may be the tip of the iceberg. I don't claim to know this community well and therefore do not know how widespread this feeling runs. I raise this as an open question to which readers can thoughtfully respond. Grown-ups who call themselves scientists often write to me in hysterics when their views are challenged. You would be amazed to see some of the hateful material I read in my e-mail in the early hours of the morning.
Fear really is the mind killer.
Fear of losing one's freedom of expression. Fear of losing out on the goodies that a co-opted life can provide. You don't have to look far these days to find fear. To the gay men who confided in me, thank you for the education. In his weekly column, published Wednesdays, he looks at medical trouble spots, heralds innovative achievements and analyzes health trends that may greatly influence our lives.