Some people turn gay late in life. Witness former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey, who was married twice and had children before he announced that he was a "gay American." Former Clinton pollster Mark Penn even coined a term who out themselves or discover they are gay in their 30s or 40s: late-breaking gays.

Of increasing frequency are the "late-breaking gays" who abandon their spouse and children for a gay partner. It is depicted in films, in Broadway plays, and on the Oprah Winfrey show.

Such Late-Breaking Gays are a growing force in America. While exact numbers are hard to come by, experts estimate that there are at least 2 million gays and lesbians who were once married to people of the opposite sex or still are.