Hi julesh! Welcome to the Maddicts gang!

Sal had a close call with the rep.(I can't remember his name) from Belle Jolie, the lipstick company. They went out to dinner, and the Belle Jollie rep. was kind of letting Sal know that he was gay in a subtle way, he invited Sal to go home with him and see "the view" from his windows. Sal acted as though he was shocked and scared by the invite, and he left.
I wondered if it was one of the first times Sal's sexuality hit him dead on.
There was one other scene in season 2 were Sal and this guy were in a meeting, and just were polite to each other. I got the feeling during this scene that Sal was scared, uncomfortable and the rep. looked as though he was holding out hope that Sal would come around. Maybe I'm wrong, but, that's the way I saw it.
I'm way too long winded, so I'll go now...hope that helped you.

60'schild
The man from Season 1 was the same man in the meeting in Season 2...
Yes, remember they were talking to Belle Jolie in both cases?
Same man...

Hi greytone, what was his name, it's driving me crazy (and it's a short drive, believe me)!!

I guess you are new to the show if you think Sal and Ken are going to hit the sack. Ken and Peggy might hit the sack or Ken and Jane might hit the sack.

His name is Elliot.

Ken and Sal are not going to "hit the sack"

Hi bildunginhollywood! Thank you!

This is my recipe: Sal in love with Ken. Ken in love with Kitty. Kitty in love with Sal. Watch it all explode.

It's interesting that Salvatore is the only person on the show who seems happy, almost giddy, around his love interest. Imagine how difficult his sexuality was coming from a macho culture and a religion that views homosexuality and adultery as mortal sins. Many on this site have wondered if a man would commit suicide, such as Duck, looking at the falling man in the credits. Could it be Sal, distraught over his feelings or actions?

Sal is going to be the "King, or Queen, of Sashay office politics" and I don't think he will open the closet door, but I do believe the office knows where his sexual interests lie...But, could Peggy lure Sal into something "kinky" that Peter might catch???

Sal was hoping he could get something on with Ken, but Ken's lack of response when Sal looked him in eye while lighting his cigarette said it all. Ken travels the straight and narrow path, even though he is deeper and more artsy than anyone else in the office. Ken and Sal are both different that the rest of the guys, but neither of them treat women any better than the average joes at Sterling Cooper.

Oh My God.. if Sal makes a move on Ken - he will surely "out" him.... Doesn't any of the guys there see how feminine he is? Even the women surely have to notice

I also thought Sal would either commit or consider suicide. That probably would not be that unusual for someone in his place in the 60's. I am sure the writers will hit us with something we least expect in regards to Sal.

I like Kitty B's Sal-Ken-Kitty triangle of frustration: the basic plot of Rules of Attraction.

Sorry, meant CarrieB!

I disagree with the comment above that Sal treats his woman no better than the rest of the guys. It appeared to me that he was truly sorry for hurting Kitty's feelings. He is an Italian man struggling with his sexuality in 1962--no easy feat. Both characters are presented sympathetically. It is a sad situation for both Sal and Kitty.

Sal may have a huge crush on Ken, and be holding to that lighter as the only way he can ever light Ken's fire (so to speak), but Sal is one of those sad realities of the early 60's. He's not coming out of his closet, and if he decides to explore his desires at all, it'll be in secret in some dark room or corner of the world with someone willing to meet him half-way, not heterosexual Ken who'd much rather have Jane.

Remember, this is a time when a man caught engaging in gay sex could be jailed or lobotomized. Sal is going to pass every way and any way he can.

Do the people in his office know? To us he's obvious, but not necessarily to an office of men and women who think that if a man has a wife, he must be hetero. Remember as well that, at this point in time, homosexuality was viewed as a mental problem--this by the American Psychiatric Association--that could be cured. So even if those at Sterling-Cooper suspected Sal while he was a bachelor the wife puts him in the clear (that is to say, they would think that a good woman cured him of those sick notions). Likely only someone as worldy-wise as Joan might know otherwise, and she's not the sort to talk.

As for Kitty, I think Sal does love her; being gay doesn't mean he can't feel honest love and affection for a woman. The problem, of course, is the love is platonic, more like that toward a sister or best friend. The sexual interest, passion, infatuation that Sal was clearly feeling for Ken is not something Kitty's ever going to get from him. And she may or may not come to realize that, but right now she probably thinks herself a very lucky wife. She's got a husband who, unlike most at that time, not only earns good money, but cooks dinner, converses with her, cleans up and brings her dessert.

Women in the here and now have been married to gay men with narry a clue until the guys told them flat out what was what. Imagine if the man didn't dare tell them or anyone else. Kitty could remain clueless till the day she died.

I don't know where some of you lived or what you have read about the 1960's. I was a young 17 year old girl working at ABC-TV in NYC in 1962 and I was hopelessly in love (for a few months anyway) with a very handsome 30 year old blond gay man who worked on the same floor at 64th and Broadway. He sold time to Ad Agencies like all the other guys (and a few women) and did acting on his off hours. I was crazy about him even though I caught on after awhile that he was gay. This was NOT a big deal in the office. He was very popular with his co-workers. You all sound like we were still living in the Quentin Crisp era. Not true. Not in NYC and not in Television. I doubt Advertising was that different.

Oh come on. Sal's going to fly over to the Minneapolis airport to visit with Larry Craig in the mens room. Wide stance and all.

Kitty was so happy to see Ken, my initial thought was, " Uh oh, a threesome! " When Sal didn't return Ken's lighter, I thought, "That's creepy". . It'd be a disaster if he put a move on Ken. Wasn't there was a office gal/operator that had a crush on Sal during the first season? I think she even listened in on his phone call from/to his mother.

Yes, Lois had a crush on Sal. Kitty also described her feelings for Sal as a "crush on an older man."

I don't think it's unusual for some gay men to be attractive to some women. Sal has many fine qualities, but I didn't like the way he treated Kitty at the dinner table. Maybe he did feel badly about it afterwards, but this guy has got to come out of the closet! He's not that young; I find it hard to believe that Sal has not had a homosexual experience somewhere along the way. He's Italian, for God's sake!

I so hope he will reach out to Elliot, the Belle Jolie guy who hit on him last season. I really thought Elliot was handsome, nice, and sincerely liked Sal. They could both help each other to have gay sex and still retain the cover of respectable marriage.

I very much doubt that Sal will start up a romance with either Ken or Elliot. He has too much to lose. If he does have a relationship with another man, he'll probably be really sneaky and quiet about it - maybe a stranger he meets in a bar. He may harbor a crush on Ken, but Ken is clueless (as is everyone but maybe Joan - remember the look she gave him after she kissed him during the play on the Nixon V. Kennedy ep). Sal would have to have a secret life, Don Draper-style.

Kitty's the loser in this situation too. She can tell that there's something wrong in their marriage, but she probably won't figure out what it is. Sal feels genuine affection for her, but that won't make up for what their marriage is lacking.

I agree with Hanna that poor Kitty is the loser. She went into the marriage without knowing Sal's true orientation. assuming that he would love her in the fullest sense of the word. Sal, on the other hand, obviously knows how he feels. that his love for a woman is at best very limited, and that Kitty was offering herself and her love to him totally.

So the hapless wife is clueless and slowly starts to feel that something's seriously wrong. The husband is not who or what he should be, not what she needs, not what she expects. She is not sure what the problem is, at first. She blames herself, and feels sad and depressed. She will try to fix the relationship through her own efforts, making changes. But ultimately, her unilateral efforts are doomed to failure. Her husband may even blame her for causing the trouble.

Slowly she becomes aware that her husband's inner life, his thoughts, are hidden from her. He will not divulge them. She notices evidence of a life he leads outside the home that does not include her, that he conceals from her.

Eventually she realizes their life together is a lie - not because she is lying - her husband creates, promotes and lives the lie.

Who am I talking about? Not just Kitty and Sal. Also Betty and Don. Roger and Mona. Pete and Trudy. Even Harry Crane and his wife.

Is there one relationship that's not contaminated by endemic lies and deception?

One of the themes in this series is that men and women in marriage are strangers to each other, and the source of the alienation is the lies the men continually tell.

Sal will never come out of the closet.Those were the days before the "gay libers" Post 50's (early 60's) when homosexuality was thought of as an illness that could be cured. Towards the mid-late 60's I can remember college campuses having "Gay Lib" dances.(especially the ones held at Chicago Circle Campus) Hmmm the good old days.......

I agree, chocolatecherry - Sal's staying in that closet for a good 20-30 years. Not only was it illegal in some areas, and obviously frowned upon socially, but homosexuality was officially considered to be a mental illness by psychologists in the US until the 1970s or 1980s. As much as our modern sensibilities want Sal to come out and be true to himself, it wouldn't be true to his time period. I'm sure there were many men like Sal who never came out, or came out late in life - and a poor wife who was kept in the dark for many of those men.

I disagree about Sal. Sal's an artist and within a few years, as the 60's open up new avenues of personal freedom and expression, he will be affected by it.

Remember the play "The Boys In The Band" by Matt Crowley? That came out in the late 60's and really opened up the conversations about gay men. There were many closeted gay married men who came out around that time. I remember seeing talk shows like The David Susskind Show where these topics were discussed quite candidly. I really believe that Sal will have the courage to face up to his reality and leave Kitty. Hopefully, she will be able to move on and meet a truly heterosexual husband.

The great thing about Mad Men is that we know how the 60's are going to unfold. Sal's going to be just as liberated as Betty, Peggy, and all the others. In fact, if we knew Sal's backstory, I'll bet that he has had homosexual experience somewhere along the way.

"In fact, if we knew Sal's backstory, I'll bet that he has had homosexual experience somewhere along the way."

Given the era, it might not have been a happy one. Getting caught and beaten up was not unusual. Which may be why he totally rejected Eliot's offer to go up to his hotel room.

Ken seems to be the kind who'd be open to new experiences, especially when he was in college. The philosopy of "If it feels good, do it." What would Sal do if he caught Ken and Kitty in bed together? Enquiring minds want to know.

Gail: Were you under the impression that Elliott was married? I thought he was single, but I can't think of anything in particular taht made me think that.

Penultimate: Your story reminded me of being a new secretary at a big company in the early 80s and having a crush on the handsome guy across the hall from my office. Naive as I was, I didn't know he was gay until my birthday, when he brought me a beautifully-wrapped package and inside were the most gorgeous, sinful pair of "Come F*&k me Pumps". Shoes... he got me shoes. THEN I figured it out.

Elliott is married. While having drinks with Sal in season 1, Elliott mentions his family, and he somehow conveys the idea that his extracurricular gay encounters don't interfere with that.

Laurie B, are you sure the guy in your story was gay? Perhaps he was a shoe fetishist and he had his eye on your young tootsies! How did he know what size shoe you wore?

Yes he was gay. Years later, he and his partner would throw dinner parties (or as my very hetero boss would call them, "DP"s.)

How did he know my shoe size? A mystery to this day....

Somebody posted on these forums awhile back about the movie "Far From Heaven" which all the talk on this thread reminds me of. Remember Julianne Moore was in the same position as Kitty only she had children with Dennis Quaid and they had been married a long time evidently. When he finally came out to her she was devastated because he had very convincingly been living like a hetero all those years...(or had hidden very well any encounters he'd had with men??) Evidently she had no idea he was gay and was taken completely by surprise. He'd met a young man at the pool when they were on vacation and gave in to temptation and then ended up falling for the kid. What a heartache for all concerned. I personally don't think people have a choice as to sexual orientation and are born one way or the other right from the start (genetics) I really feel for Sal and Kitty and hope things line out before she has invested too much of her life and youth on something that is a cover and he can find true love/happiness with a man he loves and loves him.

LaurieB and Bocaraton Fan: Yes, Elliot is married and he mentioned his family to Sal over dinner.

I believe now they call this "being on the download." You're married, you consider yourself heterosexual, but you like to have sex with other men. Sounds like Larry Craig to me.

I hope Sal and Elliot get together. I like both of them a lot.

TO: Gail, "Down Low" or DL

Maybe there really is such a thing as "being on the download" depending on which guy has the bottom position!

readhead64: Ohhhh! You HAD to go there, didn't ya!

Why does Sal go out with all the guys when they do straight guy batchelor stuff like the strip club (when Peggy showed up). Just to hang out and have fun, look more masculine? It's just more time that he has to pretend. It's hard to know how much he is in denial about himself.

I think he's very much in denial. I think his refusal of Elliot at the restaurant was the key. When the offer is proffered, at first he's too afraid, then abruptly, he moves to being almost insulted at the insinuation that he's gay. At that point, he excuses himself and he offers a firm handshake. He's not officially gay, in his mind, until he has sex with a man, so he's fighting it.

I have a friend who's gay who said his first sexual feelings for guys were rationalized as just "admiration" of these guys.

Maybe if Sal had been born in the 1940's he might be more willing to come out of the closet, but Sal has to at least be IN his 40's in 1962. He ain't budging towards the door at all. I feel for him, and for his wife, Kitty.

Even though Sal will be living in the city where the first gay rebellion (the Stonewall riots) happens, he's not going to run out and join in. He is of a different, convention-based generation and mindset. To go against that? Destruction of a way of life and how it's supposed to be lived that he can't depart from in his thinking. Even with the very, very gentle nudging from Elliott (who, by the way, would have been a wonderful intro partner for Sal).

And does anyone else think that Sal's "ethnic" (Italian) background also creates a problem for him being gay? Okay, okay, we're talking cliches here, but I think it would be hard to go against the Italian macho lover cliche that is levelled at men of Italian descent .

I see where you're coming from, jamm. Sal was probably thinking of more than just himself when he rejected Elliot. With his cultural background he'd be expected to have the traditional family with kids. He's close to his mother, too, and he'd hate to disappoint her by not settling down with a nice girl and giving her grandchildren.

Also, I don't think he's in denial about being gay - he told Elliot straight off that he knows what he "wants". He's not disgusted by it, he's just afraid of what he would lose. He's choosing to reject that part of himself in favor of living up to everyone else's expectations.

Well, Sal even played into the Italian cliche stereotypes when he was out with the guys, don't you think? Trying to act macho, manly and whatnot. Remember the few bar scenes?

You don't think Sal's in denial? I wasn't sure, it was like he gave Elliott mixed responses. One of them was something like "I have thought about it" besides the "I know what I want". I'm not sure that he doesn't feel shame because of the lengths he went to in acting so "macho" when he was with the office guys in bar scenes. Doing that kind of schizophrenic "acting" would screw with anyone's head, I would think.

Probably, the person who came closest to understanding who she was dealing with was Joan. Who I think doesn't truly grasp how deeply committed Roger is to being a philanderer.

My first paragraph got erased before the above comment:

It seems like most of the wives/girlfriends really don't have a clue as to the real personalities of the husbands/boyfriends that they are with.

@ hanna: Oh you know that's the first thing that comes to mind! I just couldn't resist--I had to release my inner child! Yes, I know I'm goin' to hell for my bawdy behavior!

Seriously, the Sal storyline is so precisely played. He really gets my empathy--it must be so emotionally painful for Sal to exist in the closet. I sensed that he was truly sorry for having been rude to Kitty.

readhead64 - That's okay. You're just posting what other dirty-minded folks are thinking. Keep bringing the dirty to the forum!

Also, I know what you mean about Sal. He's in a lose-lose situation. Every time he takes out Ken's lighter, it's a reminder of what he can't have.

Jamm54: I still believe that in a couple of years Sal will be able to come out of the closet. Did you read my post above? Remember "The Boys in The Band?" That play was revolutionary.

And I agree about Elliot. He would be the perfect "deflowerer" for Sal. But I suspect that Sal has had some homosexual experience already.

And I don't think people were that naive about this stuff back then. My parents knew of several married men over the years who they thought seemed gay (or as my Dad put it, "swishy"). Whether or not these men were "on the download" is a mystery.

Maybe Sal was just afraid to get involved with Elliot because he was a work acquaintance. The old "don't shit where you eat" kind of thing. Or maybe he just isn't physically attracted to Elliot. I did wonder about Ken's sexuality in this episode however. We haven't seen him in a real relationship with a girl yet. Is he all talk and no action?

Humans are complex and often full of conflicting feelings and desires. Sal can actually want a typical homelife with a wife and even children. He can have feelings of love and affection for women, including his wife, Kitty. Maybe he even has some sexual attraction for her. But he can also have a sexual preference or major orientation for men. He can want both things at once. But he feels the conflict between the two sets of desires and is torn. He may even wish he didn't feel sexually attracted to men.

Also, most likely he thinks it would devastate or even kill his old Italian mother to learn of his sexual orientation. On the other hand, she may already realize it (even if Sal tries to hide it, she may know) and accepts it. Do you think Liberace's mother didn't realize that about her son? Or Johnny Mathis' mother?

I'm just thinking that Sal's age in 1962 (somewhere around early 40's kind of makes it difficult for him to depart from the conventions). Though, there were certainly plenty of people who were homosexual, but it just wasn't talked about. It really has more to do with Sal's convictions about societal conventions and how deeply he is committed to them, don't you think?

Heck, I dated a guy in the mid 1980's who was born in the late 30's (about 16 years older than me), who finally had to pretend indifference to me because he didn't want to have sex. What it was really about was that he was gay, and had never come out of the closet, but always hooked up with women he thought were "cold" (to put it politely) to avoid the issue of sex. He misread my shyness and reserve (hey I'm Scandanavian or as Betty would put it - Nordic) as "cold about sex", and was unpleasantly surpised to discover that wasn't my nature at all. So, the phoney story of "he didn't know what was wrong" was thrown out there. Later, all my gay friends said "he's gay".

Nice catch, jamm54...ethnic issues for Sal being gay! In one episode last season, Ken asked Sal something like, "do you have lots of girlfriend". To which Sal answered, "what do you think? I'm Italian!" He never really said, yes.

Nice post, bocaratonfan. Yes, I think the mothers usually do know in their hearts. She (Sal's mother) may even be secretly happy about it; she knows that he'll always be there for her.

And MM has been dropping hints all along about Sal. Remember when the movie "The Best Of Everything" came out in Season One? Don tells Betty that Sal couldn't stop talking about Joan Crawford! And wasn't there a scene where Sal had drawn a picture of one of his beefcake male neighbors in a bathing suit?

@bocaraton: Is Johnny Mathis gay? I didn't know that.

Drink&Smoke, Gail: yeah, I forgot about those comments, pictures, etc. What a crack-up! Poor Sal, he just wants to belong (partner, family), but he's different. And he has no public group to identify with (at that time), other than Italian. I can't imagine how hard it must have been to be swimming against the tide.

Guys, the correct slang to use is "on the down-low."

When you say on the "download," it either makes me think of computer programs or a trip to the bathroom.

thanks gail. i agree, the mother may be secretly happy because she will always be number one for her son. who was that old lady sleeping next to kitty in the end scene, while kitty sat knitting and sal in a separate chair smoking? sal's mother, i bet!

jamm, yes, johnny mathis is gay but he has always been very low key about it...first because of his generation and the era when he became popular, and also because he is a very private person.

cesar romero was also gay, as was raymond burr.

@GuySmiley: thanks, I didn't use the term, but I thought it didn't sound right......especially download which to me is a computer term. I was thinking whoever used it meant "down & dirty". New term for me.

@bocaraton: other two I knew about (Perry Mason & the '60s Joker?!!) - just kidding.

I think what's going to really turn out sad for Sal is hurting Kitty. She may be his beard, but Sal isn't mean-spirited or unfeeling, and I bet the guilt over using Kitty is going to escalate. Maybe by the time mama dies, he'll come out, but he'll also have wiped out Kitty's youth and unsuspecting heart in the process. Not very cool or conscionable.

@Gail: yeah I read your post, but we all know everyone reacts to their homosexuality differently. The ones who work so hard at covering it up for many, many years aren't going to easily pull back the curtain just because of a few signs of thawing in public perception because of plays, etc.

One friend that I went to high school with didn't "come out" until 1990 at 26. For years, I mean years, everyone kept saying he was gay. We were very close friends. He'd tell me what people would say, and then always deny it. Heck he was even married for a while, until his wife left him for another man. My feeling was "hey, he knows himself, why would he lie?". I took my direction from him. Probably what he was really doing was trying to get me to ask him, but I felt it was none of my business. Especially because he was so vehement about his sexuality (sometimes I really am dumb). I now realize he was really asking his closest friend (me) to say, "hey it's okay if you're gay" (which it was), but I was too stupid to "get it" and help him out. Some people are REALLY bolted into that closet very, very tight for alot of reasons, and a couple of pertinent plays or books or movies are not necessarily going to inspire them to feel safe and "come out". They have to do it when it's right for them, not before.

Excuse me, got my years mixed - he came out in his early 30's in the late 80's. Somewhere between 31-33! Now that's late! I also think the older you are when you "come out", the harder it is for the person. Because you've been "lying" to everyone about who you are, not just to yourself. It's just rough.

When you think about it, why should anyone's personal sex life be anyone else's business? Unless you voluntarily choose to give out those details (usually for some hysterical anecdotes, I hope). But in an ideal world, who you're f--king (other than children or animals) shouldn't be the defining facet of your identity or personality. Now wouldn't that be ideal? Rightfully, what I notice on the forum is that everyone roots for Sal's personal happiness and a fulfilling love life. Isn't that great?! That's as it should be.

Jamm54: Well, let's just say I am hoping for Sal's ultimate liberation in the coming years, just as I am hoping for Betty, Peggy, et al. Most especially, I hope Don reaches personal "enlightenment!"

Thank you for correcting me about the term "on the down-low." I learned it from one of the younger girls I work with. I need to be told about these things; I'm just an old fogey!

Gail: you're optimistic! I don't think there's any hope for Don!

Just read on the Internet about "gay people who are celebrities" that the actor who plays Sal is gay in real life and that he and his partner run a home furnishings store in Lousiana, I believe. Of course the guy is a good actor but he's probably able to incorporate mannerisms of people he's seen around.

@ Gail Klein: I loved your "download" post! It was such an innocent remark and it made my day & my husband's. Anyone who makes me laugh is A-OK! And you are NOT an old fogey! :)

Hey Gail, I'm older than you! Still a kid in my head and my heart! You're not old! Nobody's old until they "want" to be, baby!

Gail Klein,

You are welcome.

I hope I didn't sound harsh. I don't think you're an old fogey either, but I'd be lying to say I didn't at first cringe saw the word.

Meanwhile, I think that Bryan Batt and Sarah Drew (Salvatore and Kitty) handled their scenes suavely and earnestly. They show tremendous respect for their characters and the power of what we could learn from their portrayals. It helps that the writers have written their scenes intelligently, and have chosen to reveal things about the characters in whisper-thin layers.

I love that they withhold information about the characters, so that you have to pay close attention to the body language of the actors to get the rest.

They've been handling this subject very well, and have made me admire Salvatore as one of the more principal characters.

Thank you, all.

It's hard to be hip over 50.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned it, but there's a nice little interview with Bryan Batt on tvguide.com He talks about his insights on Sal, his marriage, and if he'll hook up with a guy this season.

I saw that interview, too. He's sure a nice guy. He's been an actor for a long, long time, I guess.

..... for what it's worth (nothing, actually!) and i have no idea what i'm talking about, but maybe Sal just didn't like Elliot. maybe Sal wants to be the pursuer, not the pursued. maybe Elliot just didn't inspire him.

Beside the fact I don't like his smarmy manner, Elliot's "pass" was crude, presumptive, condescending and made me uncomfortable. Sal is a lot more sophisticated than that in the rest of his life, so would naturally approach this aspect the same way.

And as to the quick shift in self-awareness, there was a sizable gap in time before Season 2, so obviously, Sal's had time to think about his encounter with Elliot, and where he fits into the world. Maybe it was just Bryan Batt's face, but I did feel a lot more unconcious intention behind Sal's actions.

One thing that really struck me about Sal in this episode is just how much I like him. A "friend for life" kind of guy. He was genuinely upset at Kitty's distress, clearly cares for her very much, and never has a bad word to say. It was sad to watch him sitting there in the dark dreaming of a life he can never really have....

The irony for me here is that Sal is kind of in the same boat as Peggy..... he's this great human being, but he's in prison, the whole time watching everyone else be "bad" and get everything they want.

In some ways, Sal is the person with the biggest reason to be in therapy, but to me the least screwed-up person on the show, and definitely the nicest. For a guy living his life as a lie, Sal is probably the most genuine of any of the characters.

(Listen to me go on!! i'm very girly and "femme," but I swear sometimes I think there is a little gay man in there somewhere!)

i find sal very likeable, as well, but even if he's gay (we all speak of it as a foregone conclusion, and it probably is, but can we ever be sure of anything in this show?) he is still a man who was born in 1920 or maybe even earlier. If he's 42 in 1962 he ws born in 1920. And Kitty looks a lot younger - in her mid 20s. She said he's an older man.

His insensitive treatment of her at the dinner party with Ken is not unlike the insensitive treatment meted out by the "straight" men to their wives.

They get ignored or slighted much of the time, too.
He is still a man in a man's world.

@boca, so true - just because Sal may be gay (but let's face it, he is), doesn't make him "enlightened" as a man, for the era, regardless of what kind of relationship he's in (straight or gay).

@DryManhattan: you're right there, too. Just because Sal encountered another homosexual doesn't mean he's attracted or interested JUST because it's another homosexual.

CountryHusband: Wow I agree.

But what does Italian have to do with it?
Aren't there gay Italians at this time?