Private Lives?

Do we have private lives anymore? Do we get the choice of to whom we announce our sexuality? Or should we walk up to people and announce our sexuality the same that we announce our name? The author of this article seems to believe that we should brand ourselves with our sexuality and that we have no right to consider it private. I disagree with this, I think that your sexuality is as private as you choose to make it. I understand that the premise of this article refers to a celebrity, but author extends his views on privacy to everyone.

               I want to start off by saying that I don’t believe that sex or sexuality is taboo, in fact I think it’s something that should be talked about if you’re comfortable with doing so. I don’t believe that we should run up to everyone we meet and announce our sexuality. I believe that we are entitled to have a private life, and our sexuality falls under the purview of private life. There are some people who are happy, and comfortable to wear their sexuality on their sleeve, in some cases quite literally, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not advocating that we silence those who are comfortable with broadcasting their sexuality. I’m here for the people who want to keep it private, who feel for reasons of their own that they don’t need to broadcast their sexuality to the world. I myself am a moderately private person, I’m out, and have no problem telling someone my sexuality, but I don’t feel the need to make it part of my introduction. If someone misidentifies me I will correct them, and if someone makes an idiotic statement like, “you don’t look gay”, I will use my sexuality as a teachable moment.

               The author of the article feels that refusing to answer a question about sexuality says something about the person, and maybe does. Maybe it says that they don’t feel the need to be defined by their sexuality? Maybe they are somebody who’s questioning and hasn’t quite reached a conclusion yet? Maybe it says they think it’s none of your damn business? See that's the thing about “yammering on” about privacy, it’s not about teachable moments, shying away from being honest about who you are, or feeling that you’re keeping a secret about something that’s shameful. No sometimes privacy comes down to just something being your business and not somebody else’s. We can have pride and still be private.