Happy Coming Out Day

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Guess what? I'm gay!
What are ya gonna do?

rambling>>> Today is National Coming Out day. Although I'm sure someone no doubt makes a card for it, I don't think I'm quite ready to be celebrating this year. If only I were a few years younger.

This week's oft-blogged-about TIME magazine cover story on gay teens talks about a growing environment of acceptance for young people as they discover and explore their same-sex attractions. More and more high schools are forming gay-straight alliances. Today's kids are more likely to have a support network. Today's culture embraces homosexuality more than ever; just watch Bravo or MTV any day of the week, or hop on this here internet. Learning about one's sexuality need not be as lonely of an experience anymore. It doesn't change that coming out is hard, or that there will be cases of ridicule and rejection, even among family members. Depression and suicidal thoughts will still exist for gay kids, but great progress has been made in the past ten years, since I was a teenager. Still, I can't say if I would be jumping out of the closet if I was 17 now.

Meantime, I realize this wasn't even remotely the point of the article, but applause to TIME's marketing editorial department on the choice of the adorable cover boy. The way it reeled me in, I almost felt like I was buying a copy of Freshmen instead of TIME.

anonyboy2004@hotmail.com