Getting at this ageism thing... I think there is one thing that folks under 40 have to realize. Once you get into middle-age and beyond, you start to see that there is an end to this thing. That all the profound thoughts and idealism of youth really don't matter after a certain point. I am not saying that people grow more cold-hearted as they age (although that might explain Republicans). I am saying that you see the end of your life, you see friends dying in their fifties (and not from AIDS) and you realize that life is short, and you only have so much time to make your life feel well lived.
The one thing I think I treasure more and more as I age is a kind-hearted soul. Every time I meet someone whose kindness and generosity shine through I feel humbled by it and lucky to know them. Give me the Gandhi's and the Martin Luther King's (who were not known for their beauty) of the world any time. That is the true measure of a person.
I don't think gays are really any more ageist than anyone else. Money, power and beauty are the three things that have always mattered most to people. Any combination will get you ahead in the world. If you have all three, then you have hit the jackpot. It doesn't matter if you are gay or straight, substance only matters to a few of us.
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