[Byron]

There are many side issues to this problem of public perception and you will see from the archives that the in-your-face activities within gay pride parades have been strongly criticised by some readers (including myself - as I find them distasteful and too reminiscent of the freak shows which would would tour towns for the amusement of the populace some 150+ years ago).

One aspect which has reignited some recent discussion (and perhaps resulting from Tom Daley's YouTube statement) is gay men within team sports remaining closeted.
Money is at the root of that (as with all moral considerations) because, despite so many public expressions of so-called and very hypocritical "support", it is still professional suicide* for a
sportsman currently playing, to out himself. Footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger
of Germany has recently done so but, as usual in such cases and it being unsurprisingly important to his long-term personal financial security, he awaited his retirement from the game before making an announcement.

* I use the word literally as that is precisely what happened to one professional footballer within four years of coming out and still under contract to his club.

NB: Very disappointing to see that the only responses to this post have been from the "old-timers" (no disrespect intended) of the forum - considering the increased numbers of NEW members enrolled in recent months.
Such silence from them - or perhaps just one post in the space of one year - prompts me to the question "Why on earth did you bother joining a FORUM in the first place ?"