There are 17 articles on this title. You are reading the article ranked and rated #3 by Helium's members.
The closet is a pretty lonely place to be. It's dark, it's cramped and worst of all, when you're in there, people forget you exist.
It's the forgetting about existence part that is the most damaging component of "staying in the closet". There is no question that it is an incredibly personal choice to come out and to live life as an openly gay person. There are some inherint risks to being out. But there are also some substantial risks to staying in. And staying in not only hurts that gay individual, it also hurts the rest of the gay folks who are feeling alone and ostracized.
Being out brings both positive and negative attention. Living a life that is open and honest is one that brings respect, both from others and from one's self. There is nothing more powerful than stepping into the sunshine and saying, "I have nothing to be ashamed of".
If no one ever took that step out of the closet, where would the rest of us be? We'd also be staring at the back of that door, cowering in the darkness, hoping no one opening our "doors" and shined the light on us. Staying "in" says that being gay is something to be ashamed of. It's something that doesn't deserve recognition.
As long as we, as a gay community, believe that being gay is something to be ashamed of or something that shouldn't be recognized, we will never be accepted by the general, mostly heterosexual, population. Staying in the closet damages all of us by forcing us to live in fear and oppression.
Learn more about this author, Kris Olds.
Click here to send author comments or questions.
Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:
by Aaron Silver
CONDEMNATION OF HOMOSEXUALITY AND THE CLOSET It seems to me that in the wake of so many... read more
by Mike Deakin
I asked a closeted gay friend of mine "Why are you still in the closet?" he thought for a moment then replied, "Now t... read more
by Kris Olds
The closet is a pretty lonely place to be. It's dark, it's cramped and worst of all, when you're in there, people fo... read more
by Dia Camm
In The Closet: A View From The Inside "In the closet." Th... read more
by Susan Burke
In my opinion homosexuals tend to stay in the closet because of the way society judges them. If you are gay automaic... read more
View All Articles on:
The harm caused when homosexuals stay "in the closet"
Add your voice
Know something about The harm caused when homosexuals stay "in the closet"?
We want to hear your view.
Write now!
Cast your vote!
Click for your side. Must be logged in.
Featured Partner
Chesapeake Service Systems (CSS) has partnered with Helium, giving you the chance to write for a cause. Browse C...more
hide