When it comes to law and society we've been (more or less) accepted.
I think (IMO) some young guys are more afraid of their own personal situation with friends and family.
If you live in an intolerant society you can always move to another country (in most cases). But if you have an intolerant family, you can't find yourself another family. Real friendships are difficult to find as well.
In all the gay coming-out stories I've heard or read about, there is one unifying thread: Coming out basically entails getting to the point in your life where you say, "Screw it! I'm sick of doing what other people want.
I am willing to sacrifice any and all intolerant family and friends by saying to the world,
THIS IS WHO I AM." Every coming out story has an element of that to it.
So, yes, to come out, you basically risk
all your personal relationships. But you have to. It's the only way to accept yourself for who you are.
And anyone who will no longer accept you is someone who is not worth having, frankly.
But you know what i say...you'll eventually have to climb that hill anyways. Putting it off will only make things worse, because you'll end up thinking to yourself "why didn't i do this sooner?".
That's exactly what happened with me. And I guess I'm trying to help younger guys not make the same mistake. It's a dumb-ass way to live your life.
It only gets worse the older you get. Because not only do you have to tell people you're gay,
you have to tell them that you've been lying to them (and potentially yourself) all those years. If you feel like a dumb-ass when you're young and newly out, you'll feel even more so as you get older and make stupid decisions based on hiding your true self.
Yes, I felt like a total dumb-ass when I came out at 43. But it was better than living in denial. Luckily, I have good friends. The family part is so-so. Oh, well, their loss.