Praise for Finally Out

What a masterpiece! This is one of the most readable LGBTQ books I have ever purchased. Please do buy your own copy, and more importantly, buy some extra copies for your friends in your LGBTQ household, family, and community."

— Bill Cohen, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Harrington Park Press & Founding Publisher, The Haworth Press

A new edition of a classic LGBTQ book you'll read and reread. This is the one LGBTQ book that I keep on my bedside table.

Reading this book felt like conversations with a dear friend giving me wise and unambiguously piercing insights into the troubles of my own life growing up (and old) as a gay man. Its lessons hold true for all members of the LGBTQ community.

Dr. Olson has provided us with a book that will broaden the understanding of human sexuality throughout the lifespan. His narratives and personal insights will connect with many in the LGBTQ community struggling to navigate their own sexual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.”

— Eric Yarbrough, MD, President, The Association of LGBTQ Psychiatrists

Dr. Olson’s book is a comprehensive covering of the wide range of issues relevant to gay men’s experiences of coming out beyond young adulthood. Ultimately every man’s experiences will be uniquely individual to them and their context – though many are likely like the experiences of the author. I strongly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in making sense of the complex factors that impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of men.”

— Craig White, Professor, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow

I just finished the last page, feeling almost regret that there wasn’t more. As you can imagine, many parts were emotional for me. And no doubt by design, much of what you wrote is applicable to all of us as we grow older, regardless of our sexual orientation. You did an excellent job of weaving personal anecdotes with science. Just the right touch. I hope you never stop writing. You have a gift.”

— Lynn, attorney and author’s ex-wife

Finally Out goes far beyond a coming out story of a married, middle-age gay man. It represents a carefully reasoned book about all human sexuality. Dr. Olson is so honest and direct that any reader will soon get the impression that he knows what he writes about. Lay readers, both gay and straight, will relate his ideas to their own lives, and professionals in social work, religion, psychology, and sociology will find this book invaluable.”

— Bernard J. Brommel, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Northeastern Illinois University, and coauthor of Family Communication

A must-read. Provides insight into a hidden population of men who have sex with other men but may not wish to identify themselves as gay.”

— Abraham Morgentaler, MD, FACS, author of Testosterone for Life; Director, Men’s Health Boston; and Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Loren Olson’s book is highly readable, well researched, and wise. It comprehensively details the political and social setbacks and successes of the LGBTQ community. It is also autobiographical. Finally Out will be of value to people with an academic interest in the topic but also to the individual who is seeking private revelation.”

— Saxby Pridmore, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Tasmania

Dr. Olson lays out a complex process for coming out and prepares the reader for a journey. The relevant questions are answered in Finally Out. I was curious about baby boomers since statistics on coming out are not documented in national surveys, and I discovered several specific examples and referents identified in the index.”

— Graham J. McDougall Jr., Professor and Martha Saxon Endowed Chair, Capstone College of Nursing, Alabama Research Institute on Aging, University of Alabama

Dr. Olson delivers a well-written personal journey and unique insights about men who have sex with men but who do not identify as gay, a rarely discussed subset of the LGBTQ community. It is both cognitively stimulating and enjoyable to read.”

— Joseph Kent, MD, Psychiatrist

Dr. Olson is a compassionate professional and a well-informed LGBTQ activist. His updated version of Finally Out recognizes the enormous strides that LGBTQ people have made in the last ten years. He updates, as well, his understanding of bisexuality and of transgender people. Dr. Olson’s book is a must read, particularly for older LGBTQ men and those close to them.”

— Rob Howard, former President, Prime Timers Worldwide

I knew I was gay from my early college days. I wondered why other men found it so difficult to come out. Now, after reading Finally Out, I understand.”

— Larry Jacobson, motivational speaker and author of The Boy behind the Gate

Dr. Olson’s book is a must-read for anyone who’s personally dealt with coming out or experienced it within the family. His book is a well-written and enjoyable read. It offers hope and compassion.”

— Matt McCoy, Iowa Senator and author of McCoy, You’re Going Straight to Hell

In this excellent book, Dr. Olson has applied his skills to a more rational understanding of male sexuality. He proposes a more complete view of male sexual behavior than that accepted by most clinicians. Finally Out will help professionals, patients, and other men better understand and accept gay and bisexual men.”

— Allan F. Demorest, MA, clinical psychologist (retired) and former Clinical Director, United Behavior Clinic

You touched my heart and have shown me another horizon.”

— Healthcare professional, Sudan University for Science and Technology

Dr. Olson goes through the winding path of self-discovery most of us in the LGBTQ world must travel. Along the way, he illustrates his insights with case examples and stories that enrapture us with their piercing wisdom and obvious clarity.

Dr. Olson, writing as a professional psychiatrist, speaks words that come from the heart. It was particularly striking to read a work that might be useful to both an LGBTQ mental health professional and the laypeople they counsel.

Finally Out is an intensely courageous personal story of one man’s sexual journey and an engaging scientific explanation of human sexuality. Olson has artfully molded his story and the science together into a very readable book, lifting it beyond the ordinary. He is a first-rate storyteller, a trait we don’t usually find among scholars and scientists. I highly recommend it.”

— James A. Autry, author of The Servant Leader

Finally Out is a must-have book for men recovering from conversion therapy and navigating life after heterosexual marriage. Dr. Olson’s work is smart, scientific, and personal.”

— Tim Rymel, MEd, speaker, educator, and author of Going Gay

In Finally Out, Loren Olson illustrates how essential it is for all of us to feel true compassion for ourselves if we are ever to truly give such regard to others. This is more than a memoir; it is a massively intelligent, deeply felt examination of what it means to be different and how we embrace life with that realization. Finally Out should be required reading for anyone who has or cares for kids to help us help them celebrate their truest selves as early as possible.”

— Ken Haller, MD, former President, Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, and President, Missouri Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Finally Out is a timely and prescient exploration of aging and sexuality. Dr. Olson has the rare ability to combine the personal with the analytical, providing a fascinating glimpse of the advantages as well as the challenges of maturity for gay men.”

— Dean Hamer, PhD, Scientist Emeritus, National Institutes of Health

The new edition of Finally Out is that rarest of books—jam-packed with scholarship and up-to-date information but so well-written it is hard to put down. Wise and friendly, as valuable as it would have been when I came out at forty, it’s worth its weight in gold to me at sixty-one. Loren Olson makes a powerful case that at the age many believe life is winding down, it is just starting to get interesting.”

— Lindsay Thompson, owner of Henry Bemis Books

Dr. Olson eloquently provides insight into the physical and emotional roller-coaster ride that LGBTQ people face when addressing their sexuality. As a sixty-year-old lesbian, I can attest that his personal experiences are not too different from what women also experience in the coming out and acceptance process. It is helpful and comforting to read and understand his medical analysis and reasoning as it gives validity to the feelings that one experiences during this uncharted journey to acceptance and peace.”

— Sharon Malheiro, attorney

Finally Out is a much-needed book that fills out our picture of how gay men come to terms with the apparent dichotomy between their rational assumptions about the two sexes and their own set of sexual attractions that do not fit that norm. An insightful read.”

— Amity P. Buxton, PhD, author of The Other Side of the Closet and founder of the Straight Spouse Network

Dr. Olson impresses me with his eloquence in sharing his struggle to come out as a gay man in later life. He served as a model of bravery and wisdom for others who have loved ones who wrestle with the challenge of identifying their sexuality as something other than ‘the norm.’ I hope Olson’s published works serve as a resource for understanding the LGBT community for years to come.”

— Margaret A. Stout, President Emeritus, National Alliance on Mental Illness

Coming out was a deeply personal experience for me growing up on a farm in rural, northwest Iowa. Every LGBTQ person’s journey is unique and should be shared. Finally Out adds to the breadth of coming out stories and helps put a face and voice to coming out later in life for many individuals who are still struggling with their own sexual orientation or gender identity.”

— Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel, EdD, Executive Director, One Iowa

A highly informative and entertaining look at what it means to come of age as a middle-aged or older gay man.”

— Bill Konigsberg, award-winning author of Openly Straight and Honestly Ben

I was impressed with your erudition and refreshing honesty. Your discussion of priorities as we navigate our seventies rang true as did the questions on social justice. Nice work!”

— George McNeil, MD, psychiatrist (retired), Maine Medical Center

Until recently, gay men over forty seemingly didn’t exist. In Finally Out, Dr. Olson debunks such ignorance and lends insight into the hearts of mature men who can be gay, sexy, and respectable. It’s high time.”

— Tim Turner, playwright and journalist

Today’s LGBT seniors grew up in a system that not only threatened to jail them but also labeled them as mentally ill. Dr. Olson provides an excellent portrayal of the struggles and joys that LGBT seniors and their caregivers face, and he guides both gay and straight readers in the importance of being Finally Out.”

— Christopher MacLellan, MA, Certified Caregiving Consultant, CEO, Whole Care Network Inc., author, radio show host, and speaker

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