I have had recent experience with friends/family 'coming out', and there being a flurry of activity right afterwards, calls and emails about the 'situation'.
People seem all upset and wringing their hands, and praying to God for the young man's deliverance.
I think it reflects how uncomfortable they are to receive information like this. Sexual topics are generally not discussed in families. Someone has just shared an intimate truth about their life choices, their sexual choices, and allowed family and friends to know a profoundly personal part of their lives. They are not seeking permission. It is their statement of self.
It is a courageous thing to do. A risky move. I can't think of one heterosexual couple that has ever purposefully opened themselves up to the opinions and ridicule of others. We guard our intimacies, and believe what happens in the shadows of that is only our business. So why is a person coming out perceived as a call for action in some families?
On the flip side, I also don't believe it is newsworthy. News reporters would never say, this heterosexual man was just indicted on Racketeering charges ... but they do typically mention if the person is Gay or Lesbian. (Is that you, Prejudice?) Unless it is a matter of unequivocal equality and the country needs to fight for their rights, I know that we will never truly embrace it until it is not considered noteworthy.
I believe that living according to the teachings of Christ means that we should try to be like him, and in that not to pass judgment when faced with values that are at war with our own.
Except for Jenner. It galls me to no end that he has achieved celebrity status. I have no quarrel with him wearing a dress, but do we really need to act like a bunch of immature 13 year olds snickering over finding a nudie magazine?
