The title of this recording is "Snapshot 2000 - Scott (b)". It is described as: Scott talks about coming out and first sexual experience. It was recorded in Sydney, Australia on the 23rd January 2000. The duration of the recording is 4 minutes, but this may not reflect the actual length of the event. A list of correctly spelt content keywords and tags can be found at the end of this document. A brief description of the recording is: In this podcast Scott talks about coming out and first sexual experience. The content in the recording covers the 1970s decade. A brief summary of the recording is: In the podcast "Snapshot 2000 - Scott (b)", recorded on January 23, 2000, in Sydney, Australia, the speaker recounts their personal journey of self-discovery and the challenges faced while coming to terms with their sexual identity during the 1970s. The speaker knew about their sexual orientation from a young age but struggled with societal expectations and personal turmoil for many years before embracing their truth. Originally engaged to be married, the speaker found themselves grappling with immense pressure and doubt, which eventually led to the dissolution of their engagement and a subsequent period of heavy drinking and drug use. The move to Sydney - a city renowned for its sizable LGBTQ+ community - provided a semblance of solace and the opportunity for the speaker to find acceptance within themselves and among peers. At the age of 24, the speaker decided to come out, spurred by the visible relief and happiness in friends who had done the same. The process of coming out was met with mixed reactions, especially within the speaker's family. Their mother, who has been aware of their child's sexual orientation for four years, still struggles to accept it. The speaker chose to respect their mother's wishes by not disclosing their sexual orientation to their father, leading to a familial dynamic marked by secrecy and a lack of complete openness. Despite this challenging circumstance, the speaker expresses the liberating sensation of no longer living a double life and the profound relief experienced after coming out to their family. They recall the outstanding sense of peace that followed the disclosure, which allowed for the best night's sleep they'd had in years. The speaker also discusses the experience of coming out in a professional setting, specifically within the military, which had only recently legalized homosexuality. Colleagues in the Royal Australian Navy were supportive, marking a significant step in the speaker's personal acceptance and the broader journey towards inclusivity within such institutions. On the topic of first sexual experiences, the speaker's was fraught with disappointment and emotional turmoil. A night that began with the thrill of a new encounter led to a morning filled with regret and self-reproach. It took the speaker years and a relationship with someone kind and caring to finally adjust to and accept their sexual experiences. They also offer advice to others who might be apprehensive about coming out, emphasizing the importance of supportive friends and the need for balance between haste and undue delay. The recording, which spans four minutes, is reflective of the speaker's experiences in a period when homosexuality faced significant stigma, and the LGBTQ+ community had to fight for acceptance and rights. The speaker's narrative sheds light on the complexities of their journey - dealing with individual and societal expectations, the often arduous path towards self-acceptance, and the importance of community support. The full transcription of the recording begins:  OK, well, I first knew I was gay when I was about seven. Um, I always got on well with the girls, but always liked the look of the guys thinking I just wanted to be like them, but it was a bit more than that. Um, I basically didn't actually come out till I was 24. I broke up with my fiance, um, started drinking heavily, started getting into the drugs to cope with it all. Um, but, uh, once I sort of realised what was happening and went to Sydney, which is supposed to be the second biggest gay capital in the world, that seemed to help a little bit. Um, And once I came out to my family and all that kind of thing, it was such a big relief to me. Um, they didn't deal with it very well. Mum still doesn't deal with it very well. She's known for four years now. Um, I was absolutely petrified about coming out. Um, but a lot of my friends that I was hanging around with were gay, and they were all coming out around me, and I saw how much of a relief it was for them. So I thought, Well, I might as well do it myself. So I came out at work. I was in the Royal Australian Navy, and that was a big step for me. It was only just, um, legal. Um, so that was one of the reasons I hadn't come out earlier as well. Um, I came out to all my work, colleagues and all that kind of thing, and they were really they were really good about it. Um, coming out to my mother at first, that was a bit of a nightmare. Was over the phone of one thing I wished I'd never done. But, um, she questioned me about it on the phone, and I just said yes. She went silent. Um said she'd get back to me later. She rang me a couple of hours later and told me not to tell my father. So I didn't end up telling my father I still haven't actually told my father for because of her wish. Um, which is, I think, just as which is harder for her because she hasn't got anyone to talk to, except for my sister. But, um, she's now moved out of home and all that kind of thing. Um, we still have a close relationship, but not as close as I would like it to be, because I can't tell her everything. When I came out to my parents, it it was like a huge weight off my shoulder. I remember the night I went to bed after I told my parents I had the best sleep I'd ever had in years. And it was just it was just such a relief. It was such a huge relief. It was like I didn't need to lie anymore. I didn't have to lead such a double life, which I've been doing for so many years. Um, everyone that is gay has a pretty good idea that they are. But a lot of people are very, um, apprehensive about it. Um, some people live in areas where it's not well accepted. Um, if you're going to come out, make sure you come out with friends around you that you can really, really trust. Um, take it slowly, but don't take it too slow. Um, because when you come out, you wish she'd done it. Years ago, my first male sexual experience was an absolute nightmare. I was very drunk one night at this mixed bar. Um, he actually picked me up and, uh, took me back to his place. Um, uh, the excitement was amazing. Doing it was OK. It wasn't what I really expected. But when That next morning when I got home, I was, uh, really, um, really upset. I was expecting something absolutely out of this world. Something absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, it wasn't, um, that morning I got home. I felt very sick. Um, I was absolutely disgusted myself. Um, I actually lost my virginity to a guy before a girl always thought I'd get married and have kids and have a station wagon, all that nice thing. And I thought it actually totally destroyed my life. I wasn't for a couple of years after that that I, uh I actually met someone that was really nice and very caring. And, uh, it made it took a while for me to actually adjust to it. The full transcription of the recording ends. A list of keywords/tags describing the recording follow. These tags contain the correct spellings of names and places which may have been incorrectly spelt earlier in the document. The tags are seperated by a semi-colon: 1970s ; Australia ; Coming Up ; People ; Snapshot 2000 ; Sydney ; alcohol and drug abuse ; capital ; coming out ; double life ; drugs ; family ; friends ; gay ; marriage ; military ; sleep ; trust ; virginity ; work. The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/snapshot_2000_scott_b.html. The master recording is also archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand.  For more details visit their website https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.1089399. Please note that this document may contain errors or omissions - you should always refer back to the original recording to confirm content.