I think we are a bit sheltered, I too thought it was a thing of the past, looking around my crowd where no-one takes any notice whatsoever. Yet when talking to some of them they have made me aware that hatred is alive and well.

Just as with religion, & it may be at least partly due to religion, some folk you just can't reach or even talk to. You know this person, so you know best, but don't expect to much, & be prepared to now become "one of them" in our continuing culture war! Good Luck!

Being part of a theater group, which happens to have many gays of all ages, and hearing some of their stories, I know that we have a very long way to go yet... very long !

I would think the best plan is to live by example. The gay co-worker and you should make it a point to go have lunch occasionally. Yuck it up, talk about sports, show him that the fellow is still a dude and he is able to control his animal urges at least at the office.

By the way, my parents were very anti-black when I was growing up. Heartily advocating shootings and lynchings. Then by chance they bought a house on long island and found out as they were moving in that the next door neighbors were black. My mother tried desperately to get out of the sales contract. A couple of years living next to civil people and she figured out they were actually people and the hate just disappeared.

Yes, I put in a complaint about a guy at work, I found him really offensive when he was talking about a gay member of staff. They said that there is some extra training that they can do with him...fingers crossed!

There are LOTS more like him. We're nowhere near to acceptance.