When They Knew

Planning His Bar Mitzvah

Celebrity public relations executive Howard Bragman realized he was gay in 1969 while preparing for his bar mitzvah. "My favorite part of the bar mitzvah was meeting with the party planner," he remembers. "Oh my god, to choose flowers and colors and menus and table cloths—I was in heaven! The centerpiece of the whole thing was a big smoked fish—with the eyes and teeth—and 'Howard's Bar Mitzvah' spelled out with pimento."