03-20-00 Eastern Echo

�Coming out: Is Hollywood pointing the way?

It seems as if the world is "coming out" of the proverbial closet. Headlines in such esteemed newspapers as The Wall Street Journal and covers of national magazines such as Newsweek have showed us the face of homosexuality, and seriously, that face looks familiar. Gay and lesbian issues are hot topics right now, mostly because the question is continuously being asked, "Can we deny "human rights" to people who are homosexual?" and "What does it mean to be gay and living in America?" The clash in California In California a battle has raged over the controversial Proposition 22, a ballot measure that prohibits the state from recognizing same-sex marriages legally performed in other states. Kathy Levinson, president and chief operating officer of E*Trade Group Inc., was convinced by four leaders of the "No on 22" campaign to make a large donation to oppose the measure. Kathy and her partner of 19 years, Jennifer Levinson, have always considered themselves "quiet activists." They supported gay and lesbian causes but stayed out of the limelight, preferring to keep their private life private. That all changed when Levinson decided to donate $300,000 in personal E*Trade stock to the doomed "No on 22" campaign. (On March 7, California voters said "yes" to 22, effectively banning gay marriages in the state.) The donation itself was not remarkable. Levinson purportedly owns 1.75 million shares of E*Trade, worth about $40 million dollars. What was remarkable was the fact that someone like her decided it was time to take a stand, a very public stand, to support gay and lesbian issues. (Also remarkable was the fact her company stood behind her, defending her right to offer personal support to an issue she heartily believed in.) The rave of the waves (airwaves, that is) From Ellen DeGeneres and Anne Heche, to Melissa Etheridge and her partner Julie Cypher, the well known and the powerful are beginning to step forward and reveal their sexual orientation to the world. Twenty years ago, the word "homosexual" wasn't muttered on television or in the movies. Now we see HBO specials like "If These Walls Could Talk" tenderly portraying four stories of lesbian love. One segment, written by Anne Heche and starring lesbian poster-girl Ellen DeGeneres, who is Anne's partner, unashamedly depicts a love scene between DeGeneres and actress Sharon Stone. Things are changing, and when "tolerance" plays a large role in the change our society can only benefit from it. But it's not only film and rock stars, or well-positioned entrepreneurs, who step out of the closet demanding to been seen and acknowledged as what they are-just ordinary people. Today it's everyone from teenagers trying to start their own Gay-Straight-Alliance at their high schools, to topflight soldiers in our armed forces denouncing the merit of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, who are standing up and telling the world their stories. And we need to hear those stories, because then we might see that very little separates "us" from "them." Come out, or stay in? Maybe both. My friend, (I'll call her Mariah because she hasn't formally come out of the closet to her parents) is basically "out" at work and in the community in which she lives with her partner just outside of Ann Arbor. Her parents, she contends, must have their suspicions. Their 35-year-old daughter has lived exclusively with other women since college. Mariah's partner owns a prominent business in the Ann Arbor area, but feels uncomfortable with the thought of revealing her sexual orientation to the community. She believes that those who need to know already do. A major milestone for Mariah was coming out at work. But in the progressive law firm where she works she feels her sexuality has never been an issue. She is convinced that she is treated equal to every other employee of the firm. Her benefits are available to cover her partner, should they ever seek them. Role models for a cause Can we say that Ellen or Melissa made it easier for my friend Mariah to reveal her sexuality? Sure. We fear what we don't know. And by "knowing" these prominent lesbians we have begun to become accustomed to the idea of homosexuality. Every time another distinguished gay or lesbian steps out, it makes it easier for ordinary people to do so as well. It's not so threatening anymore to see a picture of rocker Melissa and partner Julie wheeling their young children through the park on a Sunday afternoon. It's life. They want to share their lives and love with their two children. That's something we can all understand. I'm not saying it's like this in all the parts of the country. This is Ann Arbor. (Or near enough.) We are notoriously liberal in our beliefs. But areas in our nation are following-some quickly, some slowly-to this place where we all get the things we need in life. It's universal. The needs, desires and dreams of an individual do not change because of their sexual orientation. � What do we (and they) want? �What does everyone want? We want to feel safe, in our homes and on the streets. We want to have job security, and know that the law will protect us should an employer discriminate against us. We want the right to raise a family with the partner of our choice, the right to share insurance coverage with our spouses, the right to make a home in any neighborhood we can afford to live in. We want the right to formally declare our commitment to our spouses, the right to serve and protect this great country in the armed forces, the right to be who we are without concealing our true selves. Dignity. It's what we all want, whether we consider ourselves heterosexual or homosexual in nature. Thank you to all those prominent gay or lesbian trailblazers for showing us your true selves. Each step you take, a brother or sister thankfully follows behind you. �