Instead of "coming out" they should stay in & be quiet & all will be better for our society !

Dear Nathan,

«I think it's important to realise that any inclinations you have are simply part of you as a person and your wider sense as a person is more important, not one element of your life alone.»

I think that what you mean by "wider sense as a person" is one's personality, one's character, and in that case I agree that it is more important than such elements as sexual preferences.

But it goes further than that: even your person, your personality and your character, are YOUR things, just like YOUR body, YOUR brain, YOUR mind, YOUR sexual inclinations and even YOUR car, YOUR house, YOUR money, etc. While one can consider any of those important, they cannot be as important as yourself, the one who HAS all these things. Even your personality, even your character, are at the end of the day YOURS, not who you are.

«At a higher level, how many things do you need to put out in a public environment to feel better?»

To feel better is a poor-man's motive and doing things, including speaking out in public, in order to feel better, can at best provide only a temporary relief. At a higher level you would be speaking out in public because you are convinced that doing so will be for the good of others.

Often gay people find their sexuality a difficult "problem" to deal with. The reason being is their homosexual lifestyle is vilified by many in society, we have such vilifiers on this forum, read one or two of the above posts and you can see the sarcastic vilification in them. Gay folk have suffered everything from mild snickering, and the snide office jokes, to extreme physical violence resulting in death, all because of their sexuality.

The polarisation of the issue during the gay marriage debate was an indication that some in society still harbour extreme prejudices against gay people, and many other minorities in society, for being "different to me".

p/s What was all the gay marriage fuss about? Look, the sky hasn't fallen in, as the rabid haters said would happen.

such vilifiers on this forum
Paul1405,
Again, you're making things up that aren't true. There is no vilifying, people are just becoming sick & tired of having this subject rammed down their throat at every turn. That's what pi$$es people off not the fact that some are queer.
You must be gay too because you like stirring crap !

"You must be gay" point in question Indy, you use it as a negative disparaging remark so as to be a put down. That in itself is a form of vilification. AC comes on with with negative sarcasm in one paragraph, then in some feeble attempt at justification he writes; "Honestly I don't care if he's gay." Of course he cares, otherwise he wouldn't try and absolve himself of his negativity.

Paul1405,
Are you gay ? Are you still hiding in the closet ?
If you are then just come out & go about your things, no need to clog the net with ramblings of justification !