As someone who has passed the magical age of 40 and is gay, I have seen American society undergo tremendous changes. Not only has the view toward homosexuality changed radically but the way people approach the conversation has become much more open. There are still many against the idea of open sexual orientation and equal rights for all people. Both sides have valid arguments. Fortunately, society has grown as we can now speak openly and freely about our sexuality. While there will always be extremists on both sides of the argument, the fact is that the progress made has been good for our country.

When I was younger I didn’t much question my sexuality. It seems that I was more intent on being a kid than trying to understand what being a homosexual meant. I soon discovered that I was different and just learned to accept the fact. My intention was to grow up, get married to a woman and have kids of my own one day because I really didn’t know of any other option. The thought that I would be attracted to someone of the same sex wasn’t even something on my radar. People just didn’t talk about it in my society. There were a couple of shows on TV in the late 1970s that had gay characters and for some reason I felt a connection. I didn’t realize it was because of my own doubts of my sexuality. It wasn’t until I was 17 or 18 when I finally began to understand why I felt this connection. The possibility that I was gay began to form in my mind.

I grew older and become more comfortable and accepting of who I am. I still didn’t reach a comfort level of discussing my sexuality with others. People never really questioned me as I was ‘straight’ acting and shy. I assume they talked about me. Vowing to myself that I wouldn’t deny it, I didn’t make a public declaration but internally knew that I was gay. Media and press outlets started having more interest in discussing homosexual issues. The fight for equality was becoming more vocal. From my perception, it appeared that most people still were in the closet. The mid 1990s saw a major cultural shift. The Internet started to impact peoples’ everyday lives. As Internet Service Providers became more popular and more people acquired web services, in the country’s interpretation of homosexuality was changing. More people started coming out of the closet by finding safe haven in the chat rooms and websites that began appearing. These placed allowed people to find like-minded individuals and share their orientation without the fear of backlash. Condemnation of homosexuality also became more vocal and newsworthy. Regardless, it was becoming apparent that society as a whole was becoming more accepting.

In my view, this was the biggest indication that American society has become more accepting of homosexuality. People are now willing to debate about the topic. Whether it’s in a calm rational message or outlandish protests and claims, society is ready to deal with sexual orientation. Issues regarding the rights of gay people are reaching resolution. The recent repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the strides made for gay marriage and civil unions has indicated that America is ready to accept homosexuals for who they are. The morality of sexual orientation will continue to be a hot button topic but the conversation is out of the closet.

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