Well, nobody is talking about this here yet anyway, so I'll start. I think most of us who fall under the LGBTQ umbrella are predisposed to respect a person's right to come out on their own terms, since we all remember what it was like when we were the ones in some kind of a closet. Some people have an easier time with this process than others do, and thank goodness it's a much more accepting and tolerant world in terms of finding support, fewer legal obstacles, more role models for younger gays and so forth. But for the people who put off coming out, or maybe do so somewhere less than 100%, there is still this nagging feeling of 'maybe I shouldn't do this' or feeling justified that it really isn't everyone's business (which it's not).

Celebrities or people in the public eye are often held to a higher standard that goes along with their increased visibility. One of my exes was extremely pissed off at some of the well-known people who just decided not to talk about their sexuality at the time I knew him, feeling as though these stars had a responsibility to let others know that it was OK, and then dodge the slings and arrows that would be coming for them. But it's a path that everyone walks at their own pace, and in their own direction, so while I respect the people who do come out publicly, that's not for everyone to do at the same pace as others.

I do, however, happen to agree with what this article says is the Barney Frank Rule: if somebody is going to serve an elected office, or campaign against the rights of gay people, and this person is themself gay, then this is the only situation where it is OK to out that person. And I only think it's OK-ish, because forcing someone to announce their sexuality can lead a lot of people to feel humiliated and could potentially lead to some serious guilt and shame due to the way they were brought up to feel about homosexuality. I certainly didn't shed any tears when that whole Larry Craig tapping his foot in the men's room at an airport story came about, primarily because every time he had a chance to vote for making gay people's lives easier (including his own!), he voted the other way.

And I guess I should feel the same way about Aaron, because his voting record seems just as slanted against equality as Larry's was. But I am not completely convinced that Aaron really is gay. The part of me that thinks he probably is gay has been conditioned by my experience as a gay man who thinks he is attractive and subconsciously judges him for that, like so many of us do with 'hot' guys. I tell myself that Larry and Aaron should be held to the same standard, but I can only imagine myself in bed with one of them and so I create this double standard, maybe? Or else I am just overanalyzing this too much.. But like I said, this could all be a ploy by either Aaron or someone coordinating his political life: dress and act in an almost stereotypical gay way but keep insisting that you are straight, and then sit back and watch all these gay blogs and personalities twist themselves into pretzels trying to figure it all out.

Or else he really is gay, and if somebody did have the kind of proof that has led other famous people to be outed, it will come out (so to speak) and he can be lumped into the same category as the other hypocrites who preceded him. I've typed a lot but I'm not sure how much I have really said, so thanks for reading.