Those Who Came "Out" Early Are the Heroes

I always marveled at -- respected -- gays that were out, often waaay out, early in this whole ballgame. Atrios is right about it, so here's a complete reprint of his usual terse statement:

A rather obvious point, but the real heroes of marriage equality are all of the queer people who were courageous enough to be out long before that choice was anywhere close to being risk-free (it still isn't, of course). The potential cost of being out was of course affected by financial privilege and location. Easier for some than others. Not judging. But that federal judges all probably know gay people - and know that they are gay - is likely (don't know for sure!) the biggest factor of all of the pro-equality rulings over the past few years.

I remember hanging out with my first out gay, back in the late 1960s, and not surprisingly it was in San Francisco. He was out out and celebrated all the facets of his gay personality in that special flamboyant way of those years. I also remember discovering -- surprise surprise -- that he was a human like me, only way more fun and imaginative and daring.

It didn't get me over my institutional homophobia -- I admit to evolving, just like a typical hardheaded lib -- but he opened the door. Glad it's getting kicked wider and wider open.