If you are gay

BY RICHARD J. DALTON JR.

March 28, 2008

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Gays and lesbians are so diverse, living across Long Island. But some areas are more attractive than others. Many cite Huntington, home of the Long Island's Gay Pride Parade since 1991, as one of the most welcoming communities.

Mac Speights, 67, and Bob Titus, 83, have lived together in the western Suffolk community for 18 years. "We are out to neighbors, to businesses, from supermarkets to banks, and there has never been a problem," Speights says.

The couple enjoys the Cinema Arts Centre, which shows a gay-themed film monthly and hosts the annual Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. The Book Revue bookstore has a varied selection of gay and lesbian books. And the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington's gay organization, Interweave, hosts gay gatherings and participates in the pride parade.

The Hamptons also are gay-friendly. East Hampton became the first Long Island town to create a domestic partner registry, in 2002, followed by Southampton. North Hills became the first village to offer domestic partnerships.

Fire Island's upscale Pines and the quaint Cherry Grove neighborhoods, and Sayville, the gateway to the barrier island, are well-known gay spots. Central Islip, near Sayville and Robert Moses State Park beaches, also is popular.

With growing acceptance, many gays and lesbians have moved beyond the enclaves. OneBaldwin couple says friends warned them to keep to themselves when they moved to the community in the 1990s. But now they watch out for the elderly woman across the street, the couple next door invited them to their son's wedding, and a new neighbor invited them over for Hanukkah. "We all seem to get along just fine," he says.

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