@boxer Said 
Imagine living your entire life not being able to tell people what you're doing this weekend, or who you're doing it with. Imagine falling in love with your husband and not being able to tell your co-workers, your family, your friends. Imagine sitting and listening to your friends talk about dates and vacations and not being able to join in the conversation. Imagine having to stop yourself while you're telling a story about the person you love, so you can change pronouns and lie.
Imagine having to do this EVERY SINGLE DAY of your life.
That's why it's such a big deal.
I could not imagine having to hide something that should not be hidden only for the fact that many people were, still are intolerant.
When people have told me they are transgendered, gay, bisexual etc, I always said thank you for telling me. I was thankful because though I do not know what its like, I could only imagine the bit of fear in them of rejection. I say a bit of fear because though they know me, that I am accepting of all, there is that bit of fear still after a life of so much rejection. So I was always thankful they shared and that they entrusted me with this information. I never once had a though or idea that because a girl told me she was a lesbian, now she wanted me. I can't wrap my head around the fact that we might know someone for years then find out they are gay and now all of a sudden have this fear, or thought that now they want us but when we thought they were straight, it was okay and they were are buddies.
I think in sports to come out of the closet is especially hard because the sports world is very anti gay. I mean this in the sense that while the intent might not be to be anti gay, many sports players make anti gay remarks and so do the coaches. The NHL now has policies in place, the first national sports league to have this, my understanding is that now if you are in locker room, on the ice and make an anti gay remark, you are going to be punished. I am not sure, this was just passed as NHL policy, if the punishment is a fine or if there is suspension. I think this is great because sometimes people comment with things that are anti gay and while the intent is not to be anti gay, they do not realize how this would hurt a little kid at home struggling with coming out, with if they are gay etc.
The one thing that I do not grasp so the Hollywood community. I am not sure how to put into words but its the fascination media and entertainment shows and entertainment magazines have about gay celebrities. I mean in the sense of say, they think a male celebrity is gay, all the shows and magazines feel it necessary to ask and pose the question either on the show or in the magazine, is so and so gay? And pose the question to them in interviews. No one seems fascinated to wonder if someone is straight but all this drama is someone is gay or not and feeling it necessary for us to find out.
The one that comes to mind the most is Anderson Cooper. I have watched him for years on CNN and I knew he was gay. He did not hide it. He just never went on tv and told the world but he lived his life hiding nothing. But all the time on entertainment shows and in magazines it was headlines of "Is Anderson Cooper gay" and why does he not come out. I never I guess understood why its cared so much.
May 07, 2013 @ 17:50:36
