GenQ - For the not so straight individual

Scientists believe that anyone on earth can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than four intermediaries. This ?Six Degrees of Separation? theory was first proposed in 1929 and later tested in 1967. In Gay Sydney, my experience is that there are only two to three degrees of separation'maybe depending on where you live...less separation in the Eastern Suburbs versus the Inner West Suburbs.

Sydney is really a very small place. I find that every gay man I meet, I already know through someone else! Most likely, you or someone you know?.knows me, the Single Guy! In the last few months, I have had some close encounters of gay separation of my own:

A few weeks ago, I went to the house warming party of my friend David. He had just moved in with two other gay guys in a shared house in Woolloomooloo. David was new to Sydney. He had been looking at various housing options. But as it turns out, one of his housemates was a guy (Nick) I had dated a few months ago. Two degrees of separation....awkward two degrees as I never called Nick after our second date. Let's jus say I will not be going back to David's house anytime soon.

Another example occurred to me two weeks ago when I had a coffee date with Andew, a guy I met online who lives two blocks from me. Andrew had traveled throughout South America and had just returned to Sydney for work. I told him about my big adventures in India. Somehow, we talked about India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. He told me about this short Bangladeshi guy he was friends with. It did not click until my short Bangladeshi friend Sam mentioned something about his friend Andrew who lived on my street. Three degrees of friendly separation. Now we can all be friends.

There are less degrees of sepration between my fuck buddies and my friends. Dating and shagging within a smaller pool, the odds that I and my single friends shag or date the same guy are higher than willing the lotto! During one drunken all night conversation session, I realised that my friend Hussein and I had actually shagged four of the same guys in two countries. Now, that is worthy of an algebra equation. When you take gayx + gayn + sydney + internet=?

Gay filmmakers in Canada have taken out any degrees of separation amongst gay men and created a documentary called Zero Degrees of Separation. The film by Elle Flanders is the story of two men who fall in love but in reality are enemies, one is Israeli and one in Palestinian. Talk about bad odds! I do recommend the film though'especially if you like Middle Eastern army men.

So the next time you are bored at a house warming, gay wedding or dinner party and you cannot speak any further about home wares, I suggest you play three gay degrees of separation. This is the game when you go around the table and try to find out who you and the other person have in common. You'll be surprised how few degrees there are between you and that cutie who is checking you out! It could be a great pick up line!