There are important life lessons here, shared with wit and wisdom, by one of the country's most respected and loved pioneering gay authors, speakers, and mentors. Brian and Ray have been in love for 43 years. That love has endured some of the most challenging issues in life. Each time, with open communication, good humor, and loving kindness, their relationship grew deeper. Brian McNaught, is an award-winning author of several books, including "On Being Gay," "Gay Issues in the Workplace," and "Sex Camp." In response to his book, "Are You Guys Brothers?" Congressman Barney Frank said, "No one has done a better job chronicling what it is like to be gay in America." Says McNaught, "We're a very happy gay make couple, privileged to have created family with great friends, and a series of amazing dogs. Jeremy, the Irish Setter, Brit, the yellow Lab, and now, Lincoln, the smart and affectionate Labradoodle service dog. Our famiky is not unlike your's, perhaps, but only if your family has been held together and molded with kindness, love, and laughter." Find here a series of short columns, first appearing in "South Florida Gay News," that tell some of the lessons Brian and Ray learned in 43 years of doing their best to be extraordinary husbands and dads. They were young men when they came together in Boston in 1976. Brian was a fairly well-known gay activist at the time, and came from Detroit with Great Aunt Helen's chest of drawers, a twin bed, and Jeremy, upon whom he depended for a sense of belonging. He was Brian's family, and they both welcomed Ray, a money market banker, into it. He got into their car and the journey never ended. That began the love story known and celebrated by hundreds of thousands people..The guys are in their senior years now and Brian has funny, moving, thought-provoking stories to tell. Lincoln has his own books, "The Lincoln Chronicles, Puppy Wisdom for Happy Living," and "A Young Dog's Take on Life." This book is Brian's 11th, Said McNaught, "I like the assembled writings in this collection. It speaks from my heart without pretense of how grateful I am to be gay and spiritual, and to have spent the majority of my life with a kind, thoughtful, generous man, and separately with three dogs. A grateful heart wants for nothing. I have no bucket list. I've done everything I want to do. Now, I write to give back all of the loving support I've received for my work across the globe on LGBTQ+ issues.
