I think it's ok to post a link to a news article. If not, sorry. Tim Gunn says he hasn't had sex in 29 years. What was your longest dry spell? | Love + Sex - Yahoo! Shine I found this interesting because I too have been celibate for 16 years. Tim Gunn, in this story, has given me some new found courage.
I already had respect for Tim Gunn, but I recently read his book, basically a sort of a "how to be a good person" book which was filled with autobiographical information, and I came away with even more respect for him. He talks about his celibacy in his book; apparently he was in a very committed relationship which ended badly, and he hasn't been motivated to "put himself back out there" since, and seems genuinely happy having surrounded himself with great friends and a fulfilling role in the fashion industry. While a lot of people might not find celibacy to be a viable option, I have a lot of respect for people who have found happiness by surrounding themselves with friends and "created family"
I haven't had sex in about nine years. Don't miss it either. I'm a schizoid personality, so singledom and celibacy are actually my preferred conditions. People who talk about how "hard up" they are for sex boggle my mind, as I rarely even think about it. The way people obsess about romantic relationships is alien to me. Every time I've ever been in a relationship I've been unhappy and overwhelmingly relieved when it was over - and this was not because the relationship was "bad" or anything, but because I just felt so suffocated when forced to be emotionally and physically intimate with another person. Physical intimacy and relationships make me extremely uncomfortable, no matter how much I might "like" a person. I can also recognize and appreciate when people are sexy or beautiful (of both genders) but at the same time, I have never felt the serious desire to sleep with anyone. All of my sexual encounters have been initiated by others. Sex can be fun, but I don't understand society's obsession with it at all. I just don't think my brain is wired that way. For me, sex has always been first and foremost an intense violation of personal space. Since my psychological makeup demands an excessive amount of privacy and personal space for whatever odd reason, celibacy is pretty much a given.
I can imagine 29 years without sex. I have gone 26 years without it, so what's another three? Seriously, though, I really admire his attitude. It's a refreshing breath of fresh air.
I always liked Tim Gunn. I think a lot of gay people who come out late or abstain for a long time feel that they need to catch up on what they feel they've missed. So it's great that someone with as much public respect at Tim is saying that it's okay to be celibate.