Although homosexuals are more visible and accepted in North American society than ever before, homophobia still takes an alarming toll on gay individuals. Gay male adolescents continue to run away from home, abuse drugs, turn to prostitution and attempt suicide in staggering numbers. And mature gay men with fulfilling jobs and comfortable homes still battle for self-esteem, discouraged again and again by negative attitudes and discriminatory acts. Looking at these statistics and his own experience of coming out — as a middle-aged husband and father of two — Calgary psychologist Kevin Alderson found himself wondering why some gay men manage to construct overwhelmingly positive self-images while so many others never overcome low self-esteem, or in some cases outright self-hatred.