Someone recently told me that choosing to stay in the closet was tantamount to admitting that being a lesbian is wrong. But then I've also heard gay people told to keep their sexual preferences under wraps; it's ok as long as you don't talk about it (DADT, anyone?).
So here's the question. Is staying in the closet an admission of guilt? Why else might people choose not to share their sexual preferences?
As someone not belonging to a majority religion, I've thought about this sort of thing often in a parallel context. I don't think it is an admission of guilt, because in our current society there can be very real consequences to coming out. Some examples include losing friends, being harassed, even problems in work or housing, illegal as it may be. In an ideal society people would be able to come out without consequences but as it is it basically all comes down to weighing the risks and the benefits and deciding if it's worth it for you.
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