Why ‘Self-Identifying’ Is Different From Coming Out; New York Times, 12/29/15

Wesley Morris, New York Times; Why ‘Self-Identifying’ Is Different From Coming Out:

"Two to three times a month, I sit in a barber’s chair for a haircut. It takes about half an hour, which is enough time to overhear and participate in conversations about everything from sexy women, financial solvency and the American presidency to why the dust at the bottom of a bag of Doritos is so good. Some of those conversations veer into comically incorrect presumptions about gay life. Some veer into the abject homophobia of certain comedians’ stand-up routines. In nearly 40 years of haircuts, I’ve heard the word ‘‘faggot’’ a lot.

Part of what got me down about Bill Kennedy’s situation is also what moved me. He traded a useful job protection to advocate for other gay people in sports to feel safer while doing their job. It’s easy to hate whom you can’t see and harder to hate whom you can. I’m gay. But I’ve never self-identified to a barber or the men in the shop. Nor have I seen any other man do the same. We should."