For many of us who grew up gay in secret, or else paid the price for our public display of authenticity with fear of violence, this new world order is mind-boggling. Like a puppy that has lived his whole life in a cardboard box in a dark alley and suddenly gets whisked into a mansion with a large, plush puppy bed, the acceptance and mainstreaming is a positive but jarring experience. We found one another because the rest of society rejected us, and through the pain, we found joy. We embraced that we were different, celebrating those corners of our identities that were beautiful. We knew who we were; we weren't afraid of sex or expression. We were colourful and loud and, perhaps because our lows were so low, our highs reached new heights. Many of us convinced ourselves we were content to exist on the fringe and to inhabit a space that was, in many ways, more electric and fulfilling than white picket fences and sexual repression. For some, life free of the institutions that the majority inhabits will always be preferable.