[Dave26013]

Another thing that you might want to consider: Most gay people see themselves as an oppressed minority. Most gay people also have the option of staying closeted – but the psychological weight of doing so can be overwhelming. At work all the time people talk about their spouses, what they did over the weekend, etc. They’re not waving their “straightness” in everyone’s faces, they’re just talking about their life. If you’re closeted it means having to lie, or be evasive, or “play the pronoun game.” It feels very deceitful.

When I came out, there was a tremendous feeling of liberation. I probably overdid it a bit at first (just as Ellen did), but hey, we’re only human. But for me, it comes down to a question of visibility. Being out is a political statement. It means “I’m proud of who I am, I’m not going to apologize for it, and while I do not need your approval I insist upon being treated with dignity and respect.”

A lot of people think they know no gay people, and that it’s OK to crack mean-spirited “faggot” jokes, etc. By being out and visible, I’ve certainly caused other people to reconsider their views on what they think homosexuality is. I’m changing the world one person at a time. It’s not much, but it’s something.

User Detail :  

Name : Dave26013, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 34, City : San Diego, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,