Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves '72 said last night that he is gay and spoke about being "a gay person of color" at a meeting of the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Association.

Although Reeves said he has not kept his homosexuality a secret, he said he acknowledged he was gay for the first time to the press last Friday at an awards ceremony of the Boston Gay and Lesbian Political Alliance.

Reeves said he could not accept the "Friends of the Community Award"--which is given to heterosexuals sympathetic to gay issues--because "I am a real homosexual."

Reeves said his public acknowledgement of his sexual orientation, often referred to as "coming out of the closet," was first reported early this week by In News, a newspaper about the local gay community.

"It is important to have courage and integrity and not be involved in hypocrisy when it comes to your sexuality," Reeves said last night.

Although Reeves said he has been open in the community about his sexuality, many audience members said were surprised about Reeves' public coming out.

"I think it was overdue," said Cambridge resident Douglas Hirsch '82. "With the scarcity of role models available to young gay people, I want to see successful gay people open about themselves."

BGLSA Co-Chair Rachel E. Cohen '93 also said the mayor's public admission is important because he has been a long-time supporter of gay issues and because he is "a really positive role model."

Reeves said his being gay "is not new" but that he did not plan on coming out publicly Friday until he realized his award was for "friends outside the [gay] community."

While the mayor said he had not intended to publicize his homosexuality on Friday, he also maintained that his "December debut" was not a first-time public acknowledgement.

He said he first came out to family members when he was a sophomore at the College.

"I don't think I've been a hypocrite for the past 25 years and I know I wasn't," Reeves said.

The 41-year-old politico, who assumed mayorship in January,is the first Black mayor in the history of Massachusetts and one ofthe first openly gay mayors in the country.

The mayor said his sexual orientation has beenknow throughout Cambridge for years, and that hewould openly say he is gay if asked about hissexual preference.

Personal Decision

In an interview with The Crimson in 1989,however, Reeves declined to answer a questionabout whether his sexual preference was a matterof record.

But last night, he told the audience of 30 that"It takes time to realize that as an activist or apolitician you can make a part of yourselfinvisible."

"You have to realize that you have to allow allparts of yourself to bloom and flower to becomethe fullest self possible," he said.

At the meeting, Reeves discussed the racism anddiscrimination he has encountered as a gay Blackman. He said coming out is a personal decisionthat must be made individually.

He also said he does not plan to step-up hisinvolvement in issues relating to the gaycommunity just because the press reported hiscoming out.

"I pretty much think I'll go ahead and be me,as it evolves with me. That's my plan," saidReeves, who has been active in the city'sMulticultural AIDS Coalition.

Reeves, who said he has given speeches andattended events officially as a gay man, said hethinks he will retain the support of hisconstituency