Announcing you are gay and its effect on your career
> You are missing the point. This is not the 1950s. There is no reason for
> someone to be s obsessively private about their homosexuality. Young
> people regard that as pathetic. Morrissey made his name as a radical
> artist - aka "The Queen is Dead" and "Margaret on the
> Guillotine". Yet George Michael & Elton John - who were
> MAINSTREAM in the 80s are now far more radical than Morrissey.
May I ask...do you have any experience in the real world of business? You don't know the damage announcing you are gay can have on your career. In MOST states across the US, you have NO protection against being fired for being homosexual. You're gay, you're fired and there's not a damn thing you can do about. Do straight people even realize that that's the way it is in most of the "united" states, even today?
Hollywood has their token gays aka Will & Grace, but then even "Will" is straight in real life. The only true gay person represented on that show is the stereotypical flaming queen. Not the 1950's but the sterotypes are still ever present.
Remember 'Ellen'? She announced she was gay then POOF, her show gets cancelled. Rosey O'Donnell...same thing. Ricky Martin? Why'd his popularity plummet so quickly?..everyone found out he was gay. You mentioned George Michael. What has he been doing since getting caught wacking off in that restroom in LA? Last time I remember him being any sort of force in music was back in the 80's. When people found out he was really gay (early 90's) his fanbase dropped considerably.
The ONLY way it is safe to announce you're are gay without it having a negative effect on your career is to be in the position of Elton John...so filthy stinking rich that you just don't give a damn anymore what people say. For years Elton insisted he was "bi" only because he knew the public would be a little more accepting of that.
True, the youth of today don't give a damn if you're gay or straight. Thank god, there is hope for future. But the sad truth is that business today is still largely run by the old school, and they just aren't as open to it all. Until they die off and the gen xr's have total control nothing will change.
The bottom line is that it's nobody's business but his own what he prefers. You don't want the world knowing what's going on in your bedroom. Imagine if you were constantly put on the spot about your orientation. Give the man his privacy and the respect that he deserves. Afterall, that's exactly what you expect for yourself.