by Danielle Zarcaro

Created on: July 26, 2009

The decision to come out is of the sole discretion of the individual. But suggesting that those who are ready and willing to come out should stay in the closet is hypocritical. No matter what side of the debate you're on - choice or not, marriage or not, sinful or not - suggesting a person should deny a part of his- or herself shows a very closed-minded view of the world.

I'm not suggesting that every gay celebrity should come out because they're denying a part of themselves; celebrities keep part of themselves hidden all the time. Being in the public eye can be a tough balancing act; do you welcome the media into your home or just do interviews about favorite colors and foods? The same goes for sexual orientation.

Some celebrities such as Tegan and Sara have been quoted many times saying they wish people wouldn't always connect their music to their sexual orientation. They want their music to reach all kinds of people, and their music isn't of the lesbian variety - there's no such thing. They're lesbian musicians who write music, not musicians who write lesbian music - which most people have trouble deciphering between.

Understandable, but on the other side of things, people who are looking for role models will find much hope in artists like Tegan and Sara. If a girl wanted to search for lesbian artists, they would find Tegan and Sara - bringing hope to the girl and a fan to the artist. By coming out of the closet, people in all kinds of professions will show that there really are all kinds of gay people, and they are in all kinds of professions. The advancement of equal rights for LGBT people depends on the visibility of LGBT people in all walks of life.

If a person does not want to come out, he or she should not be forced out, but the more people that do come out, the more acceptance it will inevitably bring. If all gay public figures stayed in the closet, that illusion that gay people are few and far between will persist. People all over the country will be more discouraged when trying to become public figures. It is hard to be in the public eye, and by coming out, those individuals are giving the media one more thing to cling to. But having public figures come out can bring more good than it does bad.

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