(ThyBlackMan.com) Rick Welts, “I’m gay.” Don Lemon, “I’m gay.” Will Sheridan, “I’m gay.” Uhhhhhhhhhh, ENOUGH!
Who cares? Does the public really care about their sex lives? Who these people choose to be romantic with is of no concern to me and should be of no concern to those who know them.
Rick Welts is the president of the Phoenix Suns professional basketball team. He is very well respected and is considered one of the best executives in all of professional sports. Don Lemon is a weekend anchor for CNN news in Atlanta. Will Sheridan played college basketball for Rutgers University (and is now an aspiring singer).
This week each of them, independent of each other, all admitted in the media that they were gay. They were not caught in some compromising position and threatened with blackmail. They just felt the public had a “right” to know.
Here is what Lemon had to say, “I think if you’re going to be in the business of news {as a reporter}, and telling people the truth, of trying to shed light in dark places, then you’ve got to be honest. You’ve got to have the same rules for yourself as you do for everyone else.”
Are you kidding me? One of the supposed tenets of journalism is to report what happens and not become part of the story. What does his sexual preference have to do with his reporting on a story? So, Mr. Lemon, I want to know how much money you make, your home address, your cell and home numbers, your social security number, the name and address of your parents, etc.
Lemon is basically saying that we, the public, have a “right” to know his deepest, darkest, most private information. This is ludicrous.
I am really having a difficult time understanding why the public needs to know this. None of this information is relevant to the performance of their jobs. None of this has anything to do with workplace camaraderie. None of this is anyone’s business.
This public confessional will not make them a better executive, a better anchor, or a better singer. As a matter of fact, if I admitted to a co-worker that I was a Christian (and they did not share my belief), it could be construed as workplace harassment. Just ask any human resources professional.
But, from all the media accounts of these confessionals, you would have thought they just survived the Holocaust.
Here is what former Bill Clinton aide, Keith Boykin, had to say, “Don Lemon is probably the most high profile “mainstream” black gay man alive today, and his simple act of courage will help redefine not only how society sees black gay men, but how we see ourselves.” Boykin has lost his mind.
Are gays discriminated against? Sometimes. But they are protected by laws, not because they are gay, but because they are humans. That is why I am fundamentally against the “gay rights” movement.
Being gay is not and should not be a protected class, being human is. If you are assaulted, there are laws on the books that punish the perpetrator—not for hitting a gay person, but for hitting a person.
Gays who feel the need to have these public confessionals are not so much concerned about equality; but rather acceptance.
We know that the media is very liberal, thus they are trying to make heroes out of these gays who have gone public. They are not heroes, they are regular people.
Would the media react the same way to someone who publically admitted they had a drug problem, alcohol problem, or a stealing problem? Should they be portrayed as heroes too?
These are all about personal choices and the fear that public knowledge of these behaviors, in their thinking, might cause them to be frowned upon by society—thus be discriminated against.
Who you choose to be intimate with is a personal and private matter. I find it quite disturbing that gays feel the need to thrust their private proclivities upon the public.
If you choose to be gay, have at it. But, I don’t have to be in agreement with your lifestyle choices; nor does it preclude us from going out to dinner or a ball game. If we are friends, we are friends because you are a nice person, not because you are a nice, gay person.
Ironically, the word gay ends with the letter “y.” As in why do gays feel the public needs to know what sex they choose to be intimate with? Why do they attempt to force private, personal information into the public arena? Why do they think the public even cares about their private choices?
In the end, I don’t care who they choose to be intimate with and would prefer not to be told. I won’t ask, so please don’t tell! Enough already.
Staff Writer; Raynard Jackson
Mr. Jackson is also founder of a political and industrial consultant firm which is based in Washington, DC; Raynard Jackson & Associates.
What a poorly thought out piece of writing. It’s one of the most pathetic attempts at covering rampant homophobia with a thin veil I’ve ever seen in my life.
As much as I might not agree with people’s points – at least back it up by some research and well thought out arguments. This is not even on the level of playground talk.
Raynard Jackson is ignorant. I won’t even have heard about this sorry excuse of an article if it wasn’t linked on another site I frequented. Thanks for wasting my time reading your prejudiced rant.
Black homophobia using religion as an excuse is so tragicomic I don’t even know where to begin.
This article can be reprinted verbatim but with changes to various undesirable attributes of the black community and the same Raynard would be screaming racism.
Yawn. Times are changing. Adapt or be extinct. That is a choice one can actually make.
I’m a Black man. I also happen to be a Gay Black man. The person who wrote this piece is CLEARLY JUST ANOTHER HOMOPHOBIC BIGOT! Only a bigot would say gay men “choose” to be who we are, WHICH OF COURSE WE CERTAINLY DO NOT! In fact, it is utterly impossible to “choose” which gender one is sexually attracted to. Stop trying to “justify” your hate mongering!
No one group today is more discriminated against on earth than are homosexual men. Not Black heterosexuals, not heterosexual women, not homosexual women, or any race, of course excluding homosexual men within those races. For whatever ridiculous reason, homosexual men are the most persecuted large group of humans on the planet today even after thousands of years of fluctuating levels of discrimination throughout the world.
For this Black hypocrite to write that he doesn’t want to know that these courageous men are homosexual while he himself parades around free the way most heterosexuals just take for granted is an outright insult, and he should apologize for his bigoted stance towards these two Gay Black men.
Now, we need all of the many Gay Black men in professional sports, business, music, politics, etc to “come out” and once and for all show young Gay Black men that we’re not so unusual after all. Besides, it has always been the fact. It’s time sexual-orientation-equality becomes the rule in this so-called “land of the free” in which we all live. I salute you Don Lemon and Will Sheridan for your bravery, especially in the face of Black heterosexual HYPOCRISY AND UTTER BIGOTRY. A heart felt thanks, to both of you men!
I love how people compare slavery to “homophobia”. Yes because you were brought here against your free will and forced to work, sold, and raped. Sounds about right to me. FOH!
don’t give a flying you know what about lemon’s gayness. however, the uber-gay, billy strayhorne glasses are a bit over the top.
Mr. Jackson, you (funny, this word starts with the letter y), as an African American male, are asorry person to compare gay people with people with a drug problem, alcohol problem, or a stealing problem.
Not to long ago African American people were treated as second-class citizens, just as a lot of gay people are still poorly treated in the African American and christian communities.
Shame on you!
Rob.
p.s. f.y.i. A lot of gay people did NOT survive the Holocaust.
Raynard Jackson just doesn’t have a clue!! But then neither do many here who chose to post a response. It’s not that easy being part of an invisible minority.
When one can see another’s color its less likely he/she will have to here the N word in jokes, general comments etc. But a Gay person hears the negative side of him/herself daily and it hurts.
For those who dislike Gay folk – be careful of whom you speak. It may turn out to be your son or daughter you are speaking your hate toward. But then those who hate such things too often don’t care about their own families.
You see how you guys quote the Bible to defend your prejudices against gays in the same exact manner in which slaveowners quoted the Bible to defend slavery?
And you get upset when gays compare their struggle to the struggle that black people faced. Why do you beef or get upset at the comparisons when you use the Bible to disrespect gay people, and racist people used the Bible to justify segregation and Jim Crow? What, you get upset because you know we are telling the truth?
You guys are hypocrites who don’t respect the struggle that your ancestors experienced. And if you cared, you would not be treating gay people in the same manner that racist people treated us in the past.
Anybody that got a problem with my views can kiss my as$. Most of you are selfish and don’t deserve any respect at all.
Come on people… homosexuality is a sin, an iniquity… it a trangression against the law of God… it is an abomination
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” Leviticus 18:22
“If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” Leviticus 20:13
Those who choose to live this perverse un-natural life should keep it to themselves. I have no need to know
Would the media react the same way to someone who publically admitted they had a drug problem, alcohol problem, or a stealing problem? Should they be portrayed as heroes too?
-WHAT IN THE WORLD!! Being gay is not a problem. It is not even on the same level with drug abuse, alcohol abuse, and being a thief. Most peple that make this world go around are gay. And @ TheMan- You should startyour own church and preach to the ones who agree with you and might give you a salary because this not the place to judge buddy!
Great piece…As a gay man I could care less about details of any straight or gay persons private life.Folks in the public domain (Don Lemon etc)do feel a void for acceptance.In coming out publicly–they complete the circle for themselves since most are out privately.Because of our media driven society they feel this need.But the other side of the media society is the public does not feel the need to know.No one is banging down the door looking for info like this.If Don Lemon was a factory worker would he gather his fellow workers together and announce he was gay?Of course not.As a journalist he should not be revealing details since it will bias the public.If he said he was a die hard Democrat how would we view his political reporting?He is in a business that requires personal discipline.
So what happens now? If he does a gay story should we expect his personal views?
I really agree with this article. I could care less who is gay, why they are not accepted and so on. They already know what the deal is about their sexuality. In this society, it has become important to do what makes you feel good, self pleasure. Each of these men know what they were born with and what it is to be used for. It is about choices. I’m not homophobic, I just don’t want to hear about gay people lifestyles. They want us to know about them so much that I’m tired of looking at T.V. Reading books used to be a pleasure but now each storyline has to do with someone being gay. Enough already! Gay men and women have made their point, stop driving it up my butt.
Cool.
The great blacks who fought in the Civil Rights Movement- I love, respect, appreciate, and would kiss the ground they walked on.
The black slaves who came to the Americas and people who fought against slavery- I love them, honor, and admire them forever.
Black people who respect people, regardless of human differences- I love them.
Now the rest of you bigots can kiss my a$$!
And Tavis Smiley, Dr. Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, and others are my heroes, and great human beings.
Don’t censor people! Lets have a man to man chat! Most black folks are homophobic bigots! I work in a school district. I live and work in a black community.
If you don’t want people stereotyping you, change your ignorant ways!
Great individuals such as President Obama, Malcolm X, Dr. King, Coretta Scott King, and a FEW are the exception.
The rest of the black population are homophobic bigots that only care about themselves!
You losing me with your comment Mel Smith, as it seems like you may be the one who is a “racist”… This is one man opinion, yet you come with; I can see why other races hate blacks… Come on now… Amaze at how some of you try to group all blacks in one category…
Staff,
ThyBlackMan
I used to always ask myself how come people don’t like black people. From undergrad to graduate school, a lot of whites, Asians, Indians, Pakistanis, and others who I went to school with did not like black people.
Now after reading Mr. Jackson’s views, I definitely understand why people don’t like blacks. You guys act like a bunch of inferior thinking bast@rds. You complain about racism, but you throw gays in your community under the f@cking bus!
Mike, thank you for taking the time to explain gay discrimination and homophobia to the public. I am a gay black male. Most people do not understand how much bigotry and discrimination gay people are forced to endure. Heterosexual people don’t have to worry about the simple issues of life such as will their husband or wife be invited to a family function such as a wedding. This is different for a gay person.
I just don’t understand why why so many people want to condemn gay people without learning anything about what it is like to be gay.
Hugo,there’s NO FREAKIN’ WAY YOU,I OR ANY OTHER INTELLIGENT PERSON IS GOING TO CHANGE NARROW-MINDED BIGOTS LIKE MR. JACKSON,SO JUST CONCENTRATE ON THE MORE PROGRESSIVE THINKERS AND YOU WON’T FEEL SO FRUSTRATED!!!
The Man,YOU NEED A FREAKIN’ LIFE!!!Your “You need Christ,boys don’t be with boys…etc.,line is about on a fourth-grade level of discourse,but MOST of you religious fanatics are about on a fourth-grader’s IQ level!!!
And you wonder why NO ACTVE MALE TEAM SPORTS ATHLETE has yet revealed his
homosexuality???Lemon’s and Welts’ “coming out” are in VERY GAY-HOSTILE communities-African American men and professional sports,and are news because of opinions such as Mr Jackson’s,and others FAR MORE HATE-FILLED AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS.(Mr. Jackson,if the press is “so liberal,”why does it fawn over the Tea Baggers while ignoring MUCH LARGER LEFT-WING RALLIES???
SOUND LIKE THE SAME RIGHTIST BULL-CRAP TO ME!!!)
I am a 31-year-old African American male that happens to be gay. Mr. Jackson, you and other black homophobic people treat us in the same manner in which racist people treated us.
Black man to black man, you and I both know about racism. However, your homophobia is just like racism to me.
I agree with a lot of the points in the last half of this article but the first half did sound angry. Look, I don’t think anyone chooses who they’re attracted to, and homosexuality exists in humans as well as in the animal kingdom. It’s a fact, so get over it. The announcement about the president of the Suns does explain the fact that there are two Suns (Grant Hill and another player, I’m not sure who he was) in the NBA ad knocking down the use of the word gay as an insult. I assumed it was a response to Kobe’s “f’ing faggot” comments at the ref a few weeks ago. Anyhow, why not let these men live how they want and say who they are.
There’s no need fore most men or women to come out and say “I’m straight” b/c so are 90% of us. I don’t think Lemon or anyone else did it to boost ratings and I’m sure it took a strong act of faith, courage and conviction to say “this is who I am” to the world and know that that is who they are for the rest of their lives. Women have it easier, I think, as it’s more easily accepted.
But you are right, who cares who you sleep with, though most straight people, even as accepting as they are, still cringe a bit when they see 2 men being affectionate in public or on tv. I even do, I am sad to admit. But the main point is it’s not a bad thing for them to come out and declare who/what they are. This is a new world we live in. And I do say congrats to Don Lemon and the rest for being strong enought to step up and say they are gay and maybe they can serve as role models for young gays, young adults, etc., who can learn to live an open life and be themselves.
You’ve only got one life and we shouldn’t judge others or be judged for how we decide to live out lives as long as we arent’ harming others.
@ Peter Olofson you need jesus.And it is a choice.Your a boy not a girle.boys dont be with boys.
All the Gay’s need Jesus in there life If they did they would know being gay is wrong. God destroyed a hole city because men wanted to have sex with other men. I just hope all gays come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness before time run out for them. I truly believe it’s a choice you are not born like that. God made man and then Made a women.All the Gay’s need Jesus in there life If they did they would know being gay is wrong. God destroyed a hole city because men wanted to have sex with other men.
I just hope all gays come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness before time run out for them. I truly believe it’s a choice you are not born like that. God made man and then Made a women.
In Genesis 18, God sends three men, thought by most commentators to have been angels appearing as men,[4] to Abraham in the plains of Mamre.
After the angels received the hospitality of Abraham and Sarah, his wife, Yahweh reveals to Abraham that he will destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, because their cry is great, “and because their sin is very grievous.”[Gen 18:20] In response, Abraham reverently inquires of Yahweh if he would spare the city if 50 righteous people were found in it, to which Yahweh agrees he would not destroy it after each request, for the sake of the righteous yet dwelling therein. Abraham then inquires of Yahweh for mercy at lower numbers (first 45, then 40, then 30, then 20, and finally at 10), with Yahweh agreeing each time.[Gen 18:22-33][5] Two of the angels of God proceed to Sodom and are met by Abraham’s nephew Lot, who convinces the angels to lodge with him, and they eat with his family.
Genesis 19:4-5 describes what followed, which confirms its end (RSV):
But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house; and they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them (KJV: know them, RSV: know them, NIV: can have sex with them, NJB: can have intercourse with them).”
?The Sodom and Gomorrah motif from the Nuremberg Chronicle by Hartmann Schedel, 1493. Note Lot’s wife, already transformed into a salt pillar, in the center.
In response, Lot refuses to give his guests to the inhabitants of Sodom and, instead, offers them his two virgin daughters to “do to them whatever you like.” [Gen 19:8]NASB However, they refuse this offer and threaten to do worse to Lot than they would have done to his guests, and then lunged toward Lot to break down the door. Lot’s angelic guests rescue him and strike the men with blindness.
Then, (not having found even 10 righteous people in the city) they command Lot to gather his family and leave, revealing that they were sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. As they make their escape, the angels command Lot and his family not to look back under any circumstance. However, as Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed by Yahweh with fire and brimstone, Lot’s wife looks back at the city in defiance of the angels’ specific command, and she becomes a pillar of salt.
Two fundamental errors mr Jackson. I am a gay man but NEVER chose to be gay. And gays are discriminated against FREQUENTLY. Also, Mr Lemon is a role model and his coming out will significantly help kids bullied at school for being gay.
Everything that Hope said is true…It’s really quite telling that anytime a gay person states their orientation there are those who ask for them to keep quiet while we have magazines, news stories and many movies depicting the loudness of heterosexuality…so hypocritical.
Just because someone comes out as gay does not mean they are talking about their sex lives. They are talking about their sexual orientation.
Coming out as straight seems ludicrous because thanks to heteronormative standards it is presumed that EVERYONE is heterosexual. I ask that you rethink your homophobic-esque rant and challenge your assumptions about gender roles and sexual orientation.
All that to say think critically about your heterosexual privilege.
You write: “Are gays discriminated against? Sometimes. But they are protected by laws, not because they are gay, but because they are humans. That is why I am fundamentally against the “gay rights” movement.”
You’re completely wrong.
There are no federal laws that protect gays and lesbians against discrimination. And in many states it is still perfectly legal to fire (or not) hire someone because of their sexual orientation. In fact, a woman named Cheryl Summerville was fired from her job at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Georgia and given a pink slip that said she was being terminated for being gay. But because there was no federal, state or local law to protect her, there was nothing she could do.
Mr. Jackson,
Are you sure that you did your appropriate research? Will Sheridan played basket ball at Villanova University. Will Sheridan is also NOT a singer, he’s an entertainer, whom raps and dances. You getting this simple fact wrong loses the credibility of your article immediately.
Instantaneously, I feel that you have selective hearing. You heard “I’m Gay,” and before anyone could really tell their story or explain their reasoning for being so open in the media, you sir, were tuned out and outraged. As a result of your selective prejudice hearing….this temper tantrum has transpired this expose of your personal opinions. I’m disgusted by the stereotypes of black men. Just sick of the whole thing…and you sir are not making it any better. Shame on you!
Your choice of words make it evident that you do not have a open or full perspective on the sexual orientation of other people whether men or women.
If you actually would have listened, you would have heard that Will Sheridan never concealed that he was gay, just turned out that people whom weren’t close to Mr. Sheridan (you, me, media…) are just finding out.
Mr. Jackson, is there something you want to say to us? Do you need to come out?
These men are embracing who they are in a society where stereotypes are alive. Imagine if you thought that you would loose your opportunity to get an education, work, and make a comfortable living because YOU were straight and no one would accept that you were straight.
Think of the nerds that never got/get laid, because they were into science fiction, comic books, and computer technology. (How about that for a sterotype?) Movies like “Say Anything” portray how a straight boy likes straight girl, but girl doesn’t like him because he is different or nerdy. How is being of a difference sexual orientation different?
All men are created equal and with that equality come a responsibility of free agency to do what that man or woman sees fit with their wants, needs, aspirations, and lifestyle. Who are we as a society to tell someone they can’t do what they want when we have all of the rights and freedoms in an amazing country? If mistakes or crimes are committed then they will be punished to every extent of the law, no one argues that. But if a man loves a man and a woman loves a woman, who are we to tell them they are wrong?
Mr. Jackson, you disappoint me…
I urge you to be read aloud what you wrote and realize how ignorant you sound in certain points of this article. There’s a saying, “We’re all ignorant on certain subjects.” This Mr. Jackson is yours.
Lauren Vick
This op-ed is an excellent example of homophobia barely camouflaged behind the objection: “I don’t care if so-and-so is Gay or not.” If the author truly didn’t care, his comments wouldn’t be half as overheated as they are. He likens Don Lemon’s revelation to workplace harassment. He acts as if Mr. Lemon had posted an explicit sex video to YouTube. He opines that LGBT status should be invisible. He compares LGBT status to kleptomania, alcoholism and drug abuse. He calls LGBT status deep, dark and private, something I’m sure he wouldn’t say about heterosexual status. People like Raynard Jackson perpetuate intolerance and make Gay people feel they must conceal themselves. People like Raynard Jackson need to be ignored.
Mr. Jackson,
I think it’s great that you feel so strongly about a topic to write a rant about it. But I also think as a journalist you need to research and understand your material before you publish an article related to it. So I hope you take the time to let me explain a few things to you, to educate you in why public awareness is necessary.
So a couple of the words you chose to use are offensive; you referred to Mr. Lemon’s sexual orientation as a “sexual preference”. It is not a preference (I speak from personal experience) it is a part of who he is, just as inherent as that fact that he is a black man. It’s not a preference when there isn’t a choice. I’m assuming (due to the contents of your article) that you are heterosexual. Is this your preference or your choice? I again am assuming not, you were born that way; your first “crush” was on a girl so therefore it is your orientation not preference it’s what comes natural to you.
You stated; “I am really having a difficult time understanding why the public needs to know this”. I would like to help you understand. My parents are religious and conservative, before I came out to them they used gay and lesbian slurs, they didn’t have respect for LGBT individuals because they didn’t understand them. They didn’t understand them because they didn’t know anyone LGBT (or thought they didn’t). So when I came out to them and educated them on all things LGBT, I built a bridge between two communities that had opposing opinions. Now my parents are proud advocates of the LGBT community. So the purpose of these “public figures” “coming out” is to build that bridge. People who know them will most likely be more understanding and less bigoted. It will also help more people feel more comfortable to be themselves.
You’re completely correct coming out will not make them a better employee or professional. But do you have any idea what it’s like to come to work and people are talking about there weekends, saying “the wife and I went to the movies” or “my husband and I did some gardening” they ask you what you did and you have to hide a part of you, sensor everything you say so that they don’t “figure it out”. It’s exhausting and sad. Most people don’t even think about stuff like that. Do you have to sensor what you say about your significant other in the office because someone might find it offensive?
You said “you would have thought they just survived the Holocaust”, I am in no way comparing the gay rights movement to the struggles of the Jewish community during the Holocaust. But day in and day out we hear news stories and read articles where someone who doesn’t know us is saying they hate us for who we are. Now spread that over a lifetime of staying silent about it, not standing up for yourself, having your fellow Americans put you down. Well eventually it’ll lead to a breaking point, then you have to shout it from the rooftops and try to get people to understand you, they’re just saying this is who I am don’t hate me.
(Side bar- workplace harassment is defined as repeated unwelcome behavior or conduct)
Keith Boykin’s statement is correct, again Mr. Lemon coming out will help build bridges and understanding. It will also help gay black men and gay men of other races feel more comfortable to be themselves. I’m not saying that the single account of coming out will make it alright for everyone else to come out, but it’s just another piece of the puzzle to help someone accept his or herself and to feel more comfortable being themselves.
You said, “Are gays discriminated against? Sometimes” We are discriminated against a lot; our own government won’t afford us equal rights because a lot of people are prejudiced about gay people. It’s still widely accepted to be bigoted towards LGBT individuals.
I find it completely offensive that you’re equating being homosexual to being a drug addict, alcoholic or thieve. Again homosexuality is not a choice, and it’s sad that a lot of the world views it as something bad. The very fact that you used those as an analogy is sad and reaffirms that we have so much farther to go before we get treated as equals.
You stated “these are all about personal choices and the fear that public knowledge of these behaviors, in their thinking, might cause them to be frowned upon by society” Your article proves that fear, you yourself are writing with disdain. (Again it’s not a personal choice).
You said, “Who you choose to be intimate with is a personal and private matter. I find it quite disturbing that gays feel the need to thrust their private proclivities upon the public”. I want you to imagine for a minute, walking down the street holding your significant others hand and someone throws something at you, threatens you, yells at you just because they can, because you’re different. You go to put your arm around each other and people cringe with disgust and start murmuring to each other about how wrong it is. Do you ever have to deal with that? Do you think about it when you hold your girlfriend or wives hand? Do you have to worry about going to a restaurant and being stared at? Try to imagine what that’s like, we’re not trying to “thrust” anything on anyone, we just want to be able to walk down the street and feel comfortable. We just want equal treatment by law; we want to get married to the person we love.
Lastly I cannot stress enough that being gay is not a choice. I was born this way, my first crush was a five years old and it was on a boy. I didn’t choose it, it’s natural to me. And because of society, my whole life until adulthood was spent praying and hoping I would be heterosexual praying that I could have it easy and be like most other people. But eventually I accepted myself and became comfortable with myself and happy to be gay. If society wouldn’t have been so bigoted do you think I would have went through that internal struggle? Most likely not, and that’s why we come out at work, that’s why we come out publicly so that we can make future generations feel comfortable to be themselves.
I really hope you read this letter and I hope that I’ve helped you understand why it’s important to stand up and be yourself.
Thank you for your time,
Mike
p.s. I’m sorry about the length of my letter.
What a wonderful site, I’ve found. Such a great read. Thanks
“If you are assaulted, there are laws on the books that punish the perpetrator—not for hitting a gay person, but for hitting a person.”
This is a straw-man argument. “Gay rights” is not a movement to create laws specific to gay or lesbian people. It is a movement which aims to ensure that the same rights are extended to gays and lesbians in an equal manner. For example, it is still permissible in many areas of the U.S. to fire someone for being gay. Firing someone for being black, however, is not.
So given that, what’s the point of talking about our revealing one’s sexuality? The answer is easy. We live in a heteronormative society. Unless you clearly display steroetypes that would indicate otherwise, everyone around you assumes you are straight. Straight people need not “announce” their orientation because it is already assumed to be the default position. Unlike race, it does not have a visual component. You need not say “I am black”. People see that. They don’t, however, see sexuality. So in an effort to break down sterotypes (such as sports = manly/straight/etc), coming out has a function.