Coming Out

'Come out,' the activists say. If everyone comes out, the straight world will see... that everyone is out.
But so what? It doesn't matter who's out because people usually know who is and who isn't. And if the out and proud set are shallow, heartless, and bigotted, they're not the best pr for us anyway.
Instead, how about we all lead responsible lives? Just for kicks, what if we valued character over looks, knowledge over youth, kindness over objectification and dehumanizing sexualization, and our civil responsibilities at least as much as disco. Wouldn't that be slightly better pr?
But I forgot. Responsible living is work. It takes learning and effort and compassion and integrity. And it would mean taking a hard look at the cruelty and ignorance of mainstream gay culture.
But why bother? We're already an oppressed minority. Grade A Certified. Millions despise us. And any criticism of us is by definition unfair. Being a self righteous minority definitely has its up side. We can ignore all criticism, no matter how true. And we can treat one another almost as badly as the bigots have treated us: with looksism, ageism, cruelty, and cattiness. We can turn straight homophobia into our own brand of bigotry.