From: GAMMADC@aol.com Date: Sun, 16 Jun 1996 15:01:01 -0400 Subject: Gay Married Men Across the nation there are thousands of gay-straight married couples who are struggling with the issues of maintaining such relationships. The Gay Married Men's Association of Washington DC maintains an on-line outreach in addition to our local DC support activity for gay men and their spouses who are desperately searching for someone to share their experieces.. Please add GAMMADC to your list of resources. Our mailing address is GAMMADC@aol.com. The attached text describes our group's operation and focus. Thank your for your assistance. Point of contact is Jim B., the outreach coordinator at the e-mail address listed above. THE GAY MARRIED MEN'S ASSOCIATION OF WASHINGTON DC (GAMMADC): Gay and Married. Many think those words are mutually exclusive, but they aren't really all that uncommon. Gay-straight marriages do work out for a lot of couples. Even if their marriages don't survive, lives go on and relationships survive. In the Washington DC metro area, the Gay Married Men's Association provides understanding, support and answers for gay married men and their straight spouses who need a port in the midst of their personal storm. Contact us at GAMMADC@AOL.COM. GAMMADC isn't a "national" organization. Rather, it's a local group, but there are similar groups across the country. If you know of such a group, please drop us an E-mail and we'll add it to our list as well. If you're struggling with the issues of being a gay married man or gay spouse and want to try to locate a GAMMA-like organization near you, we suggest you check out the classified section of your local Gay and Lesbian newspaper or even the major papers in your area. Also, if there is a G/L info line in your area, they may be able to help you as well. The Washington DC group has been in operation since 1979 and usually has 25-35 men attend each meeting. GAMMADC is a support group for gay married men that meets twice a month in Washington on the 2nd and 4th Friday's at 7:30 PM. Our meetings last about 2 hours then many of us usually go to a local watering hole in Dupont Circle for some socializing. All it takes to "join" is to show up a meeting. Our members range in age from early 20s to 70s with most in their 30s-40s. GAMMA wives or "straight spouses" as many call themselves meet once a month on the 2nd Friday of the month in a private home. You will need to call the hotline number for directions. The membership in GAMMADC is a diverse as there are names in the phone book. Many have remained married for dozens of years after disclosing the truth to their spouses and close family. Others have separated or divorced, or are just now coming to terms with what it means to be gay and married. There is no right or wrong answer and there are as many different stories as we have members. Confidentiality is the byword at GAMMADC. Our members feel comfortable sharing their personal stories with the group exactly because we do hold to strict confidentiality standards. Our membership list is never made public and the our members feel comfortable in the community of those who have walked, and are walking, where there walk now. At GAMMADC we publish a monthly newsletter. I'm biased, but the newsletter just seems to get bigger and better each month with personal accounts, poems, member articles on contemporary topics and a lot more. If you would like to receive the newsletter, it's easy to subscribe. Sorry, but we don't publish the newsletter "on line" yet. Our mailing address is GAMMADC, PO Box 28317, Washington, D.C. 20038. Just send us your subscription check, name and return address to the PO box and we'll get you on the next mailing. We charge $12 per year and the newsletter arrives in plain white business envelope with just a PO return address for confidentiality. We try to do our mailings very early in the month. In addition to monthly meetings and our newsletter, we operate a hotline and fax line for questions and discussion. Pleas E-Mail us for the number if you are interested. Feel free to contact us anytime you have questions about GAMMA. Remember, you can reach us at GAMMADC@aol.com anytime and we'll be glad to answer whatever questions you may have. At least we'll try real hard.