Coming Out Day

Society tells people to be themselves…

and they will find contentment.

But, sometimes…

being yourself is not

what society wants you to be.

 Today is Coming Out Day.

I think it’s much easier '

for today’s kids to “come out”.

They tend to do so earlier,

with less fuss and greater acceptance.

And, I guess… that’s because

 (finally)

“we” are prepared to accept this.

Being gay is not a choice

or a fashionable new trend…

It’s just a tiny detail

about a person's life.

I looked into suicide rates in Australia,

especially among gay Aussies

and I was so pleased to learn

 that suicide numbers

have continued to fall

since 1997.

I have to wonder how society’s

acceptance of homosexuality

has impacted on these numbers...

It seems we may have moved

past the times when homosexuality

 was denied and hidden…

when lives were not really lived

because of it.

Way back, when I was a teenager

and living in rural Thailand,

my eyes were first opened

to the openness of gay men

 and transvestites.

Thai society –even back then-

 was so accepting…

teenaged boys were so comfortable

with their sexuality…

and then, I returned to Australia

and really saw how closed-minded

 our society was.

Finally, we are more like

the Thai people…

whether or not a person is gay

is no longer a deciding factor

on whether they are good,

intelligent or worthy…

Famous gay people have helped

 lead the way, I guess.

 Kids today will have less fear

 about "coming out”.

They are free to enjoy a gay

life from a much earlier age

than earlier generations.

Two men,

who have endured endless rumours

 and gossiping…

two men who have lived together

for decades…

two men who are happy together,

 and yet…

are not prepared to publicly admit

 to a gay relationship,

are Ernie and Bert. 

 

 

Unlike Noddy, they have continued

 to be young children’s first

introduction to the idea that

two men can live together.

This day really does need

to be celebrated.

(Least we slip back

into the darker ages!)

Wave your rainbow flags with pride.

(A side fact I found interesting:

The peak age-group for suicide

 in men is 85 years and over

(28.2 per 100,000 in 2009).

Over the last 10 years,

this group has consistently

had generally higher rates than

other age groups of men.)