We have multiple gay social circles, and a few straight, some of which overlap. It's a perfect example of social networking, in which a kind of "chain reaction" occurs, where having friends leads to meeting more friends, and so on, until you really can't manage anymore.
We generally have breakfast, lunch or dinner with friends at least 4 or 5 times a week, often more. Right now during the holidays it's virtually daily, sometimes several gatherings a day. Last night was a house party, and today we have a noon reception at a friend's, and tonight a big holiday party. Tomorrow it's 2 parties again, and next week is non-stop, too.
Every Friday night about 15 of us get together for cocktails at a gay club for a couple of hours, then most of us go out for dinner (except last night, that same Friday group having the holiday house party). Tuesday is the gay bowling league, in which we don't play ourselves, but we'll go to cheer for our friends, and all go out for pizza & beer afterwards.
Our MCC church has it's own social functions, and so does the gay choral group which my partner co-founded. Our principle HIV/AIDS charity, Broward House, has social events, too, some of them quite spectacular. A more simple staff luncheon and gift giving is next Friday. Then there's the Pride Center (formerly GLCC - Gay & Lesbian Community Center), with monthly receptions for donors, and other social events, like this past Tuesday.
We have friends who are into the leather scene (in fact, one is currently President of a local club, another this year's Mr. Leather-something-or other for South Florida). We'll go to their monthly functions & fundraisers, though not really big on leather ourselves. We also attend lots of political events & receptions for our friends, who are either gay elected officials or candidates, or else gay friendly and supportive of gay political causes. There are individual fundraisers associated with bicyclists participating in the annual SMART Ride AIDS run to Key West (my partner also a co-founder of that), and we attend those, too. Almost 2 weeks ago we were at a candlelight march on World AIDS Day, followed by dinner with friends.
I could continue, but you get the idea. We network using community activities & organizations, and personally network through friends, to have a social life that is very busy, at least for old guys like us. Since October we've cut back a lot, because of my partner's medical problem, but we're gearing up again with the holiday season, which is also good for restoring his spirits after his tough time in the hospital.
We are both social creatures, and would be lost without friends all around us, with people we know and can call by name almost everywhere we go. Not surprisingly, my late father was the same way, and I'm not ashamed to be a lot like him in that regard.
