Pride and prejudice for gay men

Gay men are four times more likely to suffer from depression than straight men. The reason? According to therapist Alan Downs, it's a toxic cocktail of anger and rejection, which he calls "velvet rage". Here, he discusses his controversial self-help manual ? plus, starting right, we hear five very personal "coming out" storiesThe window of Alan Downs's therapy practice overlooks Santa Monica Boulevard and the heart of Los Angeles's glossy gay ghetto, West Hollywood. The psychologist can stare out at the gay gym he uses and the "very gay" restaurant he dined at the evening before we talk. In the distance is the Hollywood sign. Downs is at the heart of LA's gay community, yet the book that has made his name completely reassesses the modern gay experience, holding up an unsparing mirror to

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