I might usually skip this discussion because others have expressed my views. But keeping in mind that many people see me as a one-trick pony, I'll weigh in.

I don't agree that there is any obligation to come out. If you think your friends and family can handle it, that's good. But I hear occasional cases of someone finding out who considers it their moral duty to inform employer, neighbors, relatives.

There's another problem with coming out along with being hated. There's no way you can prove that you don't molest unwilling children. No one can, but given the prejudice that exists against us, even an attractive, socially adept, charismatic man cannot disprove the possibility that he's molesting kids. Being a family man would usually make a person a better PR representative, but not in this case!

Maybe gay men were suspected of molesting boys, but the fear was lesser and indirect.