I was listening to rush limbaugh today and a caller called in making a similar point. Why do gay men have to announce they’re gay? Why is it being forced on us everywhere? Why did this football player have to come out publicly? Allow me as a gay man (and politically a conservative for those who care about politics and wondering about the political aspects of my next statement) explain what coming out is all about. Also about the perceptions of gays being everywhere.
First “Coming out the closet” why is it important to do that especially for a football player or public figure. Number 1 reason is because if you don’t and you have a boyfriend and the media or fellow football players find out you are instant headlines your life is on TV your boyfriend’s life is on TV and the football team fires you or alternatively treats you badly because they worry you’re checking out their junk in the showers. (Which being ex-military I can assure you when you’re with your comrades your mind simply doesn’t think like that) so coming out allows you to live your life normally.
Number 2 for people outside of the spotlight. Coming out to friends and family you do so for one you don’t feel like you’re being dishonest with them (especially in a religious household) and also so that you can bring your boyfriend around and not hide him in some secret place away from the rest of your life.
Next why do you perceive them as being everywhere. I’ll give you an example from my current position in life. I work for a large company in the IT field I have many co-workers I know the people I work with directly are all heterosexuals. Why do I know this? Did they tell me they’re heterosexuals. The answer to that is no, but they do tell me about their wife their kids their girlfriend’s their ex-girlfriend’s who they find attractive talking about celebrity females and who they’d like to have intercourse with.
Yup WOW think about it if you aren’t a heterosexual these conversations well…it’s like heterosexuality is being thrown in your face all the time. Now if I were to mention a celebrity I find to be handsome or about going to the park with my boyfriend last week. The same people who talk about their lives all the time would find that offensive and say things like “we have nothing against homosexuals, but stop throwing it in our faces, it’s in the video games, it’s on TV, it’s on the news, it’s probably freaking in the water, why the hell can’t you just shut up or be straight!”
That’s the typical normal reaction from heterosexuals. No matter where you live. You even see it here. I explained the reason for it in the first post. People naturally do not like what is different from their norm. So where some of you think the issue is dead and is over and everyone accepts your existence that couldn’t be further from the truth of it. When I can bring a picture of me and my boyfriend to work and hang it in my cubical then maybe we would have reached some degree of acceptance, but at the moment that isn’t the case.
Also some people think you need to come out to everyone. Personally I’ve worked for this company for 4 years now and no one there knows I’m gay, take that and think about all the stuff I have to hide from them as opposed to what they hide from me (which isn’t much) in order to keep a peaceful workplace.