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comment by LeonardCohen
LeonardCohen  ·  3564 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: "Outing" : On the practice of "outing" someone

I agree with the intent of the piece: that those of us who strongly support LGBT rights should not attempt to "out" LGBT opponents who are "closeted," to use the vernacular. I hope my comment will not be controversial, as I do not mean it to be. I don’t think someone can be "outted" as gay, because I don’t agree with the gay/straight binary, at least in the context of identifying other people. I do not identify as gay or bisexual, although I have had what would be called sexual relationships with other men when I was younger. I considered it, and still do, as a kind of experimentation. I identify as straight to the extent I must identify with a sexual orientation, because I am at present exclusively interested in romantic relationships with women. I think "gay" is something a person can identify themselves with, but not a label that can be thrust onto someone, even if they have sex with people of the same gender. Coming from this reasoning, if you will indulge me, it is not really possible to "out" someone as gay. If someone says they are straight, they are saying that they are interested in romantic relationships with the opposite sex; if someone says they are gay, with the same sex. It’s not a biological absolute. Put under the right circumstances, who is to say what we would and would not be capable of? I will identify someone as gay if they identify themselves as gay, and I will identify someone as straight if they identify themselves as straight, regardless of other factors. The labeling of public figures of something they don’t profess to be to me seems somewhat backwards. Sexuality is complex. Attempting to "out" someone—public or privately—is to me both regrettable and senseless.

Propensities towards homosexuality and alcoholism are a complete and utter false equivalence, and an obvious one at that. Alcoholism, by its definition, is a problem. Alcoholism is a serious disease that impacts the quality of the life of its sufferers and those around them. Homosexuality is a neutral characteristic or idiosyncrasy, without necessarily having any negative implications. Cannot the detractors see that they are on the wrong side of progress? Society will accept gay marriage as it accepted interracial marriage, and in a time not long from now, people will wonder why it was ever debated at all.