Finally Out: Letting Go of Living Straight, a Psychiatrist's Own Story

Dr. Loren A. Olson has frequently been asked two questions: How could you not know that you were gay until the age of forty? Wasn't your marriage just a sham to protect yourself at your wife's expense? In Finally Out, Dr. Olson vigorously answers both questions by telling the inspiring story of his evolving sexuality, into which he intelligently weaves psychological concepts and gay history. This book is a powerful exploration of human sexuality, particularly the sexuality of mature men who, like Dr. Olson, lived a large part of their lives as straight men - sometimes long after becoming aware of their same-sex attractions. "A must-read. Provides insight into a hidden population of men who have sex with other men but may not wish to identify themselves as gay." - Abraham Morgentaler, M.D., FACS, Author of Testosterone for Life: Recharge Your Vitality, Sex Drive, Muscle Mass, and Overall Health; Director, Men's Health Boston; Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School "Until recently, gay men over forty seemingly didn't exist. In Finally Out, Dr. Olson debunks such ignorance and lends insight into the hearts of mature men who can be gay, sexy, and respectable. It's high time." - Tim Turner, playwright (credits include Out Late) and journalist "I knew I was gay from my early college days. I wondered why other men found it so difficult to come out. Now, after reading Finally Out, I understand." - Larry Jacobson, Author of The Boy Behind the Gate: How His Dream of Sailing Around the World Became a Six-Year Odyssey of Adventure, Fear, Discovery and Love "Finally Out goes far beyond a coming out story of a married, middle-aged gay man. It represents a carefully reasoned book about all human sexuality. Dr. Olson is so honest and direct that any reader will soon get the impression that he knows what he writes about. Lay readers, both gay and straight, will relate his ideas to their own lives, and professionals in social work, religion, psychology, and sociology will find this book invaluable." - Dr. Bernard J. Brommel, Professor Emeritus, Northeastern Illinois University, and co-author of Family Communication: Cohesion and Change "Finally Out is a much needed book that fills out our picture of how gay men come to terms with the apparent dichotomy between their rational assumptions about the two sexes and their own set of sexual attractions that do not fit that norm. Loren Olson blends the story of his own experience of coming out and an array of scientific information to develop his thesis. An insightful read." - Amity P. Buxton, PhD, author of The Other Side of the Closet: The Coming-Out Crisis for Straight Spouses and Families; founder of the Straight Spouse Network "Part memoir, part psychology book for the lay reader, this is informative and compassionate ... Olson succeeds in offering himself as a sort of role model and in providing vital information to older gay men. Inspirational." - Library Journal