Come out, come out...

Second-term Dane County Supv. Tammy Baldwin explains the significance of Coming Out Day, marking the first anniversary of the March on Washington for Gay Rights. "For different people in the gay community, this means dramatically different things," she tells contributing editor and Listening In columnist George Vukelich. "For that person who has never told anyone he or she is gay, it may mean just recognizing it and telling themselves - coming out to themselves or to a close family member. For others who are public figures and who have already come out to many people, taking their next step might be adopting a gay rights issue and working on it very continuously in the next year. Gays simply have to become more visible. We have always been misunderstood. We have always been stereotyped. We have often been afraid to come out, for whatever reasons. With visibility, we can eliminate the myths about the gay community.... I must say that the next step is not just for the gay community, it's for the straight community as well. It's the understanding of gay politics, of the gay rights movement, of the gay person." Misunderstanding, stereotypes, myths and ignorance persist 20 years later: While lesbians and gays have gained some rights, they continue to be denied other fundamental liberties and privileges enjoyed by heterosexuals. Elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, Rep. Baldwin was re-elected to her fifth term in 2006 and remains a persistent advocate for gay rights.