Richard Maxwell, a gay teenager struggling with his sexuality, is forced to leave home after a violent confrontation with his father and moves to San Francisco, where he meets Sean Montero, a complex and fearless teenage male prostitute, who teaches Richard the tricks of the trade while also encouraging him to live openly and proudly as a young gay man in 1970s San Francisco. After Richard falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy San Francisco public relations executive, his life becomes increasingly complicated as he fights to maintain his marriage to Chelsea and family life while leading a double life as a closeted gay man and trying desperately to keep his past a secret. When Sean re-enters Richard's life he's forced to choose between Sean and Chelsea and confront the reality of AIDS in the 1980s and its impact on his sexuality, family, work, and old friends in the gay community.