Something to think about....

Few people understand totally the significance of Mardi Gras and other Pride celebrations. Many look at the externals of the night of partying and indulgence and make negative judgements about gay people, but for us it’s an opportunity to celebrate our journey of self-acceptance and more.
It’s a journey many heterosexual people find difficult to understand as they have never had to hide their sexuality or feared the reactions of others for being who they are.

Can you imagine a heterosexual in their teenage years, dealing with that moment where they have to say to friends and family, ‘I have something to tell you. I hope you’ll still love me. I’m … I’m … heterosexual’?
They’ll never have to hide their heterosexuality in order to be accepted, or walk down the street and have someone yell abuse at them because they are straight. They may experience discrimination at other levels but never because of their sexuality. For most gay people their journey has involved pain, loss of jobs, rejection by families or friends, misunderstanding and prejudice.

Much depends on the area or country in which you live.

The suburb I live in, gay guys and lesbians walk hand in hand with their partners down the street and no-one takes a second look—they may actually get a smile for the public expression of affection heterosexuals take for granted. Move out two suburbs and they would probably be verbally abused or if they lived in a rural setting may even experience the threat of physical violence or death.

One tragic example of this is the case of Matthew Shepard, a gay, eighteen-year-old Wyoming college student who, in October 1998, after being brutally beaten, was left to hang on a fence for four days in temperatures below zero before he died.

- Anthony Venn-Brown (Forum)

another reason why straight guys will never be able to understand gays....

but I'm still happy that most of my friends aren't homophobic... lolz... but i encounter homophobic people everyday of my life also...

so life ain't completely tops yet... x)