If you look on almost any entertainment site today, you will see a link about Charlie Carver (Teen Wolf and Desperate Housewives) coming out as gay (example). As with any other celebrity coming out recently; whether it be gay, trans, lesbian, bi, or anything else; there are a few inevitable comments. The two most prominent are "Of course we already knew this!" or "So what?"
The second one, I'll dealt with in the past (see here) but suffice to say that it is important for LGBTQIA individuals (children and teens in particular) to have role models who mirror them and their struggles. Since suicide are prominent due to the rejection of LGBTQIA individuals by their families or churches, the more role models we have, the better.
The first one is the one that absolutely infuriates me. First off, saying that minimizes the person and what they have accomplished by coming out. Secondly, you *NEVER* know that someone is LGBTQIA until *they tell you themselves*. You may suspect, but you do not know for sure. To assume that a person is LGBTQIA because of the way they act, dress, or whatever is stereotyping an entire group and is extremely small minded. When someone comes out, they deserve our support and should be applauded for what they have done. Yes, society has made it easier for someone to come out of the closet, but there are still a lot of people out there who would willingly discriminate against people who are not heterosexual, cisgender, Caucasian individuals (men in particular).
Since coming out is a deeply personal process, we need to respect each and every individual whether or not they choose to come out. I know that a lot of people recently have criticized Colton Haynes recently for his supposed coy "coming out" and said that he should just come out in order to be a role model. Assuming that he was in fact coming out (which I don't see from what he said), it is entirely his choice how or why to do so. Whether it is because they just want to maintain a certain level of privacy, may not be ready to accept it yet, or whatever other reason, we should *NEVER, EVER* force anyone out of the closet regardless of the circumstances. If we truly want to respect people's individuality, we must give them the space and time they need or want to deal with their own lives.
So when you see a story like this, rather than be like "Of course!", congratulate the person for their courage and support them. To do less is a disservice to us all and a sign of a small mind.
