Ellen Page's Coming Out Speech

ren wrote: And as such, that you must "come out" and be cheered and applauded and be accepted as gay by other gays.

My experience of coming out was that it was a personal journey and had very little to do with how others saw me... and in contradiction to what you wrote, most of the cheering and applauding I received came from straight friends and family. Frankly, while gay friends and family were supportive, they weren't putting on parades for me or anything.

ren wrote: Your coming out speech is your initiation. Your belonging to a pack is a symbol of your submitting to your primal fears.

I don't follow your logic in this case. You seem to be associating being gay with needing attention and/or wanting to belong to a particular group. This couldn't be further from the truth. I'm sure connections can be made in some instances, but coming out isn't about submitting to fears or joining a pack - it's a conscious decision to move away from expectations and transcend fear.

I think it's safe to say that we will always disagree on this topic, but I respect your willingness to voice your opinions and share your thoughts on the issue.