Any hearing/deaf couples here?

millerll

I recently met a guy at a local night spot. I'm hearing and he's deaf. He told me right away when he asked me to dance. He's a pretty good dancer, by the way! He gave me his email and his phone number - he uses a relay service that provides him an ASL interpreter via video to translate what the caller says on the phone.

He was a really nice guy. Unike a lot of guys in bars, this guy didn't leer at me or grab me while dancing. The most forward thing he did was to touch my arm. We danced and talked for hours. I can finger spell some, and I took a basic ASL class once, but I'd forgotten most of it, but we made do. He can lip read pretty well. I'm pretty sure he wants to see me again, but I'm a little hesitant. I'd love some advice from aonyone out there who's navigated this type of relationship.

I'm concerned about the communication barrier. I learn fast and I already picked up a lot of signs that night, but this is no doubt going to be a huge obstacle. Also, I have no idea what we'd do together. We both like to dance, so that's good, but I don't know if any local movie theaters provide subtitles for the deaf or how to find out. I'm thinking along the lines of art festivals, the zoo, the beach, etc., things that don't revolve around hearing.

Finally, I've read that the deaf community is pretty insular. I worry that, by dating me, he may be ostracized by his deaf friends. I know that this is his decision to make, and his problem to deal with, but I worry anyway. I'd hate for him to lose his support system because he dates me.

If anyone out there has dealt with issues like this and could give me some advice, I'd really appreciate it. At this point, I'm not sure if I should contact him or not. Thanks!