“I had never hidden anything, and nobody asked me any questions. My only outing came eight or 10 years ago when I was an old man. [My former boyfriend, West Side Story and Gypsy writer] Arthur Laurents gave an interview in which he outed me publicly.”

“America is watching Don Imus’s self-immolation in a state of shock and awe. And I’m watching America with wry amusement. Since I’m a second-class citizen – a gay man – my seats for the ballgame of American discourse are way back in the bleachers. I don’t have to wait long for a shock jock or stand-up comedian to slip up with hateful epithets aimed at me and mine. Hate speak against homosexuals is as commonplace as spam. It’s daily traffic for those who profess themselves to be regular Joes, men of God, public servants who live off my tax dollars, as well as any number of celebrities.”

“Ann Coulter is a horrible witch – you know that some queen is bleaching and straightening that hair. And who designs her little black dresses and shoes? Trust me, it’s gay men! I would love to see Ann Coulter in a gay-free zone – she would have coarse, mousy brown hair, poorly applied drugstore makeup and walk around in a hideous floral housecoat and comfortable flats. You can’t have it both ways, Ann.”