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Comment by chrischattin | Hacker News Reader

Interesting thought.

I think the weirdos today look a little different than the classic stereotype. Being a geek/nerd actually became cool. In the 90's, it really was only the weirdos who were into programming and computers. Coming out of the closet used to be very risky. Not just socially, but you opened yourself up to real physical danger. It took a lot of guts to be honest with yourself and openly be who you were. Now, being gay is fashionable.

Look that the things that aren't considered cool to do/say/think today and you'll find the weirdos. I think they make our world richer.

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I wouldn't say "fashionable," more that it's not widely looked at with fear, disgust, and moral judgment. It's still hard to come out: the stakes are high, and it takes a long time for your loved-ones to re-adjust their view of the world and how you fit into it. But once that happens it's no longer an "identifying" trait for many, so it's no longer a "weird" thing.

From the rest of your comment I assume that you mean well, but I would encourage you to reconsider your statement that being gay is fashionable, and reflect on why it might be offensive to some people.

Maybe it has negative connotations for you. But, I think it was an appropriate use of the word as many aspects of LGBT culture have worked their way into popular culture and are now considered cool (regardless of one’s sexual preferences).

Don't forget a certain F word is still used as an insult in English. And don't forget there are places in the world, where being openly gay is definitely not accepted (like Russia). Or even parts of the world, where it will definitely get you killed.

Gay marriage is not legal in many countries.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/countries-where-...

Calling being Gay fashionable is certainly a mindset that could only be developed in the last 5~ years in the USA or a very select few other countries.

Queen Eye for the Straight Guy came out in 2003. That's 17 years ago.

Which was a year before gay marriage was legal in the USA. Queer eye is a show that was showcasing something that was not commonplace at the time. I don't think it's an argument that being gay was fashionable in the early 2000's unless you mean fashionable in the most literal way.

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