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I had this friend in high school, he was genuinely one of the coolest and nicest people I've ever met. And, he was gay. Did I care? Of course not, it seems trivial to me. But I was talking to him one day and he told me that his parents haven't talked to him since he came out and he beats himself up over it thinking it's his fault.
I honestly hate people like his parents, and I don't think that they help anyone by being unwilling to face facts. I grew up in an area where it wasn't okay to be gay and I knew people who seemed like they were constantly struggling to accept themselves because of the homophobic culture around them.
Case 2: I used to work with this man, a long time ago. I still talk to him but one day he told me he thought he was gay and he wanted to know what I felt about that. I told him it didn't matter to me, that he should do what he wants and not worry about everyone else. But to this day he refuses to accept that he's gay and he constantly asks me what I think and if he is or isn't. I think he's been taught all his life that gay = evil and so he's just going to hide it the rest of his life.
Our society makes me sad sometimes. I'm very glad that the town I live in now is one where no one really cares what you're into and most everyone is accepted for who they are. The benefit of living in a smaller college town I suppose.
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My life is one of those 'you had to be there' jokes.
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