Hi Mark
I might be wrong, but personally I think the social experience of being gay with psoriasis is substantially different from that of being straight with psoriasis. Straights might not appreciate this (and I don't mean to cause offence). In a similar way some of your gay mates might not be able to understand the effect that psoriasis has on you - without them having been 'there'.
Being self conscious about your skin is natural, but can be debilitating. Especially in a cruisey environment.
I went for years covered up, afraid of what people might think - HIV, Kaposi's sarcoma, etc etc. And then, of course, there are the genitals to deal with
... and rejection ... 'Whats that on your
male chicken face, bud?'.
But it really is just a reflection of what I might think if I saw someone with a similar skin condition. My thinking had to change.
There are many things to 'come out' about. Coming out as gay is just one of them. I found that not hiding my skin was another liberating 'coming out' experience. Peoples reactions are their problem not mine.
How could my skin be any other way - I have psoriasis - what do you expect?
However I do follow a rigorous regime of applying calcipoitriol, and have recently started methotrexate. Acitretin just didn't do it for me.
I confidently use the gym, and hit those showers not giving a toss that I sometimes look like patchwork. And yes you do sometimes pull - and sometimes you scare them away.
Try not to let psoriasis dampen this exciting time in your life. It is afterall lifelong.
Pip x
