When was the last time you noticed the tabloid headlines? Have you noticed the increase of lesbian celebrities? Every week there are the prerequisite number of stories on the celebrities -- divorces, love-children and extra-marital affairs -- but most notably to me is the increase in the number of weekly celebrity outings. Or perhaps it is that the celebrities being outed are now being accompanied by some serious photo-evidence -- lending more credibility to the stories than previously reported. Hard to say, but it has caught my attention.

When one considers that the media has always upheld the double-standard that outing someone is over some imaginary line of what they call good taste, the ramifications of these stories is considerable. With this sudden lack of restraint in publishing these allegations, I can only surmise that perhaps that old double-standard is finally being discarded.

Is it that the media no longer considers homosexuality to be the dark secret it once was? Or is it simply the media no longer cares? In fact, the current trend by celebrities to file suit for unsubstantiated stories has nearly eliminated the media's fun with rumors and innuendo. So perhaps it is simply retaliation for celebrities being unwilling to work with the media. In any case, I find it quite telling that these stories seem to come out -- with color pictures no less! -- about celebrities who have always had rumors swirling around them. I don't know about you, but this certainly makes me reconsider my thoughts about rumors in general!

So who cares if celebrities come out or are outed by the media? Well, for years the GLBT community has maintained that gay/lesbian kids [and adults] need role models to give them pride and support when coming out to themselves and others. So who better to use as a role model than a celebrity?

Well, I can think of many professions or positions where I would look for someone worthy of emulation, and none include the celebrity-types. How about a teacher, parent or Pulitzer/Nobel prize winner? Frankly, I have never found the public persona of a celebrity to be worthy of emulating or pride. I find real people living real lives to be inspiring -- not someone who is living in a fish-bowl.

So who cares if a celebrity comes out? Not me. But I do believe -- and care -- that someone who happens to be a celebrity should be able to come out without risking their position and career. And perhaps with the change in the media's treatment of this issue, we'll get closer to that goal. That is my hope, but then that is a different story...

Until next time...