Fort Smith
Dave was born on January 6th, 1953 (Three Kings' Day) in Memphis, Tennessee. When he was five years old, his family moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas. He had an idyllic childhood, swimming in Creekmore Park, buying comic books at Coleman Drugs, having sleepovers with his friends from Sunnymead Elementary School..
"Sleepovers? Lots of opportunities for seeing guys in their underwear, cuddling with them, maybe some groping?"
"Not that I remember."
In high school he started dating girls, but prided himself on treating them "like a gentleman," rejecting even a good-night kiss. He often double-dated with his best friend, Steve.
"I'll bet you couldn't wait to drop the girls off so you and Steve could..."
"Not that I remember."
Fayetteville
At the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville from 1971 to 1975, Dave majored in Classical Studies and became competent in Latin, Greek, and German. He first became aware of same-sex desire when he translated Virgil's Eclogue 2:
Corydon the Shepherd was in love with beautiful Alexis.
How could Corydon be in love with Alexis, when they were both boys?
The professor explained that the ancient Romans sometimes practiced "the unnatural vice."
"A little frisson of recognition?" I ask.
"Nope. I don't remember feeling any strong emotion about it. It was just something weird that the ancients did."
The rest of the story is too explicit for Boomer Beefcake and Bonding. You can read it on Tales of West Hollywood.