Kev Maxen, an associate strength ach wh the Jacksonville Jaguars, has bee the first male ach a major U.S.-based profsnal league to e out as gay.
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THE GAY CHAT ROOM
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It ed to be that gay men who wanted to meet other gay men had limed optns. Now, lns of gay men wa le--not to pay a ver charge or orr a drk, but to get to the men-for-men chat rooms on Ameri Onle.
Acrdg to timat by Inter mographers, 20% of AOL's 21 ln subscribers are gay, and at nearly all hours, the men-for-men chat rooms are filled wh guys lookg for Mr. ) "Unls you're John McCa, you n't always look at someone's face and know they're gay, " says Inter-privacy expert John Aravosis, jokgly referrg to the ndidate's remark about his abily to spot gays the ary.
"It's changed the world, " says Peter Ian Cummgs, publisher of XY magaze, a tle aimed at young gay men. "If you ask gay men unr 25 how they meet people, I thk 99% would say they've met people onle, and the vast majory of them would say they e AOL. While the chat rooms are fillg a void for lns of men, the gay muny's relatnship wh AOL is more of a love-hate affair.
JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
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In 1998 an AOL employee let slip the inty of gay naval officer Timothy R. AOL issued a public apology, but plats have persisted that AOL holds gay ctomers to different, stricter standards, both chat rooms and on personal profil. Chapter nducted an rmal vtigatn and said gay men's profil are often removed or modified bee of potentially offensive language.
Aravosis thks AOL's problems are more oversight than malice, but he hop the pany gets more sensive to s gay nsumers before the relatnship sours.