Men Together: Portraits Of Love, Commitment, And Life

While the fight for gay marriage rages in America, it is easy to forget that, even without legal papers, there have always been gay male and lesbian couples. Despite the struggle to maintain, often without social or religious support, these relationships have thrived, withered, grown, floundered, and blossomed just like heterosexual unions. Men Together is a photographic and journalistic record of 29 gay male couples who have struggled and grown together over the years. Mixing the well known--Mr. Blackwell, Congressman Barney Frank, Frasier costar Dan Butler--with ordinary men--David Heinzen and Aaron Kampfe, gay cowboys who own a ranch in Montana--journalist Anderson Jones and photographer David Fields have created a tapestry of gay male life, love, and longing at the end of the 20th century. Beautifully produced (Fields's portraits of each couple are gorgeous) and wittily written, Men Together is a fine and fitting testament to the depth and reality of gay male love. --Michael Bronski