Soilwork said:
when someone tells a homophobic joke at work.. do you laugh? do you stand up for yourself?
But like sb said.. those in the closet are always saying it's someone else's fault.
I laugh at gay jokes which are not offensive...not at homophobic jokes. I'm starting to think I'm actually unofficially out of the closet. I'm finding most people are starting to understand and I'm not really hiding anything except the words "I'm gay" which are unnecessary.
But technically I'm still in the closet. Am I being dishonest as some say? I don't think so...I'm being private. If I found some guy to be with, fell in love, etc. then I wouldn't hide him, but I wouldn't go around saying "I'm gay, everyone support me and my boyfriend, but it doesn't matter if you don't, because this is my choice".
And yes, it is "someone else's fault" that I'm "in the closet"...but like others have said, not everyone can do everything to change that. It's technically not anyone's fault, because I could of course could come out easily (ie. just say it). I fortunately accept my situation and understand I'm not able to come out without losing other things which are more important to me.
I'm young, I'm at university...I have enough of a tough time with that, why would I want to move out, destroy what I already have, when what I have isn't all that bad? (not to mention, how would I ever do that in the first place?) Of course it might be nice to be out, but I'd rather be mostly in the closet because of my family and friends, than be out but alone and perhaps risk being alienated. My situation is quite different. I'm not very independent yet, I have no job obviously, I have no real close friends...all I have is my homophobic family and more distant friends, which even if I did come out could only pity me.
But really, is it necessary to come out? I'm never pretending to be straight...I only may seem to be because I don't have a boyfriend, I actually have very few male friends even...I never say I'm gay, seriously...but most people know I'm not quite "straight" in any aspect of my life. Will the fact that they know I like guys make any difference in any of our lives except that they'll feel sorry for me and find it kind of nasty?
As for privacy...I believe sexuality in general is a private thing. That doesn't mean hide your boyfriend from any living person and act like there's nothing going on...but who you choose to love or have sex with hardly has anything to do with who you are as a person.
And from the look of it we have a lot of people here who like to look down on others who "aren't as strong" and making the "wrong decisions" in the life these "people on the other side of the internet" don't know or understand.