Come Out.

Having not followed American Idol, I don't really know how true it is that Adam Lambert is a much better singer than Kris Allen, or how his rumored sexual orientation affected the contest. But knowing how popular he is, I'm glad he came out. I'm sure he opened a lot of minds, and that's exactly what needs to be done.

Coming out is the easiest and possibly most effective thing any of us can do to help the cause for the equal rights of the GLBT community and its safety. And when I say "us", I don't just mean the gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, and transgender people. I'm talking about everyone. Straight people can come out too-- as supporters of this community. Especially in our societies that value conformity so much, the voices of straight allies are extremely important. Stand up for your friends, your family members and your fellow citizens.

I always hear people say, "It shouldn't matter who I love." Yeah, you're right. It shouldn't matter, but can't you see that it does matter? The only way to combat ignorance is with the truth.

Even if every country all over the world suddenly gave GLBT people all the rights they deserve, we'd still have work to do. We can pass all the laws we want, but until hearts and minds are opened to equality, there will still be hate. Even hate crimes laws don't prevent hate crimes. That's something we all have to do in each of our own families and communities. We shouldn't have to, but we do. I see it as a moral imperative and a social obligation to all other people that you come out as long as it doesn't put you in any serious danger.

If you can't bring yourself to come out for your own sake, or it simply doesn't matter for your own sake, so be it. Don't do it for yourself. Do it for future generations, for today's queer and questioning youth, and for your fellow disenfranchised GLBT citizens.

Individuality

I'm just as much -- if not more -- of a homosexual as any other person who identifies as gay. I'm not interested in fashion, I'm no one's "girl friend", I don't like pop music, and I'm not feminine. I don't "act" masculine. I am not straight. I'm not "straight-acting". I'm just being myself. I'm an individual, and I just happen to be a male who is attracted other males which is what makes me gay.

There's nothing wrong with being a feminine male, or a feminine gay male. There is something wrong with generalizing singular examples of this and others similar in order to encompass vast portions of a population.

It is wrong because it's a device that reduces a group of persons' individuality, which is key to being human. If you don't see me as an individual, you don't see me as a person, and that makes it difficult for you to respect me as a person. Instead, you see me as a political issue, and some people see me as a religious or moral issue.

"Gay", when used in reference to males, is not synonymous for "feminine", or at least, it shouldn't be. Just as "black" should not be synonymous with "degenerate". It's not just about femininity though. It's about all the stereotypes: promiscuity, drug usage, weakness, etc. If you put such a large group of people into such a little, isolated box, those people become simply a phenomenon, something that happens in the world. You think you know about this phenomenon, and understand it, and that justifies your judgments of, and your votes on, how these people live.

If you recognize my humanity, you can empathize with me, and then you should be able to recognize that I'm not that different from you. You should be able to see that I want love, and a family, and I wish all the best for others. I have many of the same values as you. I have dreams, aspirations, thoughts, feelings, troubles, goals and beliefs, just like you. Most importantly, you should be able to see that a gay couple's love is no less worthy than a straight couple's, and our families are no less important.