The GLBT community is in the process of great change. In the 35 years since Stonewall, our community has made huge strides forward establishing itself in society. Ironically, as we have carved out a clear public profile we have simultaneously lost track of one another. The GLBT community is broad and diverse, but in many respects we have splintered into factions whose paths rarely cross.

“Portrait of a community” aims to correct this imbalance by talking to the men and women who make up our community.

Each portrait will be a snapshot of an individual in his or her unique environment and will include a conversation about the substance of that person’s life and the cornerstones of his or her GLBT experience.

In this way, in time, this column will create a complete portrait of our community – one member at a time.

Name: David Hahn

Age: 39

Self-definition: Deliberate creator of my own life.

Where were you at 9:00 a.m. last Sunday morning?

I was having breakfast with the guy I’m dating at a French bakery before he got on a plane to Michigan. It’s 29 degrees in Michigan.

What person has influenced you more than any other, and how?

My mom. She taught me that real success in life boils down to hard work, honesty and trust in God. I haven’t been able to find a kink in her theory yet.

When do you feel unequal?

Always. I generally feel I’m better than everybody else. Kidding, of course. Seriously, it’s certainly the same-sex marriage issue. It’s about nothing other than being equal in every way. Every argument against our marrying is rooted in religion, and religious people have consistently missed the point on so many other issues. I don’t think they should be trusted with the sacred act of voting.

Where were you last Wednesday at noon?

I was at work. Wasn’t everybody?

When was the last time you felt proud?

I was recently told by one person that I look twenty-something and that I was a good father by another. Both had me beaming like a New England lighthouse. I just can’t remember which person I ran into last.

If there was a defining moment in your life, what was it?

The obvious answer would be when I adopted my two sons six years ago from an orphanage in the Ukrainian, equivalent of Podunk, Mississippi. You are always certain that you will love your children, but until they’re right there in front of you, you can never imagine how huge that love will be. It is a love that is rare and self-nourishing. It has the power to transform and grow from its own center. From that moment, I was defined as “daddy.” But not your daddy.

Where were you at 10:00 p.m. last Friday night?

I was with some friends at a bar having a martini. I’m a “dad” … not “dead.”

What is your most immediate goal?

I’m currently launching my flower company brand Willem-aidan.com in San Diego that I brought down from L.A. I’m very proud of it, and I don’t think anyone has seen anything quite like it. It’s art meets flowers on Fifth Avenue. We’re set to open in just a few weeks at a downtown hotel.

When do you feel total joy?

Every time I look at my children … asleep.

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