Due to my crazy week, this is my first day of posting since Jason Collin's announcement hit the news. Although pretty much everything has been said, I felt the need to add my two cents...
As readers of FH know, I am not a fan of celebrities who go on the cover of magazines to proclaim being gay, or anything really about themselves. Although I respect every ones choice to come out as they wish, personally, I respect the quieter way celebrities like Matthew Bomer have chosen to come out without a lot of muss and fuss. It seems more organic and natural. Most celebrities who require a ticker tape parade to announce anything on the cover of People Magazine are usually as interested in promotion as they are the news. I look forward to the day when the phrase 'coming out' joins 'record player', 'tomfoolery,' 'dalliance', 'suitor' and ' ice box' as words only found in history books. Coming out was, and continues to be an often 'agressive' process instead of a natural part of one's growth.
Until then however, we are all still expected to announce something to the world that really should be irrelevant. I want to be clear, I believe everyone should be out, the closet is not a fun place to habitat. I just believe big, loud, public proclamations of one's sexuality are on par with girls becoming woman at a debutante ball. Regardless of my personal feelings however, I am not naive to the importance some public outings have had on the movement and public perception. Ellen's coming out and for different reasons, now Jason Collins have both been quite significant. Although I smiled seeing an outing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, the importance to me is also personal. There are many out celebrities, but there are very few that I can relate my own life to. Jason's story I can sort of relate to. I applaud Jason, not for being gay, that is really not important. I applaud him for entering a room without a door, and leaving it open for others to follow.
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