This story speaks to me, Amanda, for several reasons, but the two big ones are that I knew Quentin Crisp toward the end of his life, and often had lunch and drinks with him in New York City. I met him at the LGBTQ community center in Greenwich Village where he sometimes came to enjoy queer connections. He told me once that he rarely felt alone, because he knew he was surrounded by his people.

Of course by that time he was something of a celebrity, so it might be easy to write that sentiment off. But he really was treasured and valued by the community, and I'm sure he could feel that.

The other reason your article strikes me, is that these days I live in a rural area where I have almost no LGBTQ community. Being online is great, but it's not the same thing.

So your thoughts about loneliness strike me. Good things to think about!