Michael Barrett is a senior stylist at Smitten Salon in the Washington, DC metro area. Michael is 40 and Fabulous, but his life wasn't always like it is today.

On this episode, Michael shares his experience growing up gay in the bible belt in the late 1980s. The AIDS epidemic had our country on edge. People were afraid to touch a gay person. Michael had to hide who he was to stay alive.

This is an honest and open look at how far we have come and how far we have yet to go for the safety and security of the gay community.

Harvey Milk said “It takes no compromise to give people their rights...it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.”

Resources Mentioned:

The Trevor Project - LBGTQ Youth Advocates

Ruth's House - LBGTQ Homeless/Endangered Youth Program

Refinery 29 - Coming Out As Gay in Your 20s, 30s and 40s

AmericanProgress.Org - Substance Abuse Article