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It's important because it puts a face on the issue.
它之所以重要，是因為它讓你直面問題所在。
Now, a lot of people at this point will say to me, "You had me part of the way, but now here you go being all open about it now, and that's what I don't get."
說到這里，很多人可能會對我說："你讓我懂了不少，但是你現在開始鼓吹同性戀展示自我，這讓我很不解。"
A couple days ago, I got an e-mail.
幾天前，我收到一封郵件。
It was actually a very nice e-mail.
一封非常友善的郵件。
The title of the e-mail was "looking to understand," and the person was really genuinely, I think, trying to understand something about homosexuality.
標題是"尋求理解"。我相信寫信人是真心想要尋求對于同性戀的理解。
And he or she wrote, I never remember it was male or female.
他寫道，我不記得是男士還是女士了。
But the person wrote, "You know, I don't understand that if you're okay with it, why do you have to be open about it?
他寫道："如果你對自己是同性戀的事情感到很自然，那為什么一定要公開地去表露這一點那？
Why does everyone have to know?
為什么要讓所有人都知道？
I don't understand why gay people have to be so open about it."
我不太懂為什么同性戀朋友都要這么公開和張揚呢？"
And I've heard this question before.
我以前就聽過這類問題。
First person I ever hear this question from was my mother.
而第一個問出這種問題的，是我媽媽。
Back when I came out to my parents, many years ago, we used to have long discussions, and I remember during one of these discussions or arguments, whatever you want to call them.
很多年前，我剛和父母坦陳同性戀身份的時候，我們常常會有深入的長談。我還記得有那么一段談話-或者稱之為爭吵也行。
We didn't throw things, but there was lively you know, one of these discussion my mother said, "I just don't understand why you have to be so open about your sexuality!
畢竟我們沒打起來。我媽媽說："我真搞不懂為什么你非得如此公開自己的性取向？
Your father and I aren't open about our sexuality!"
你爸爸和我從未這么公開張揚過自己的性取向！"
I want you to think about that sentence.
請諸位回顧一下這句話：
"Your father and I are not open about our sexuality."
"你爸爸和我從未這么公開張揚過自己的性取向！"
Not only is the person who utters that sentence openly heterosexual, she's also open about having sex at least once.
說這句話的人，不但公開清楚地陳述了自己是異性戀這個事實。她甚至還公開承認自己進行過不止一次性行為。
Heterosexual people do this all the time.
異性戀朋友們每天都在做這樣的事情。
They talk about their wives, their husbands, their boyfriends, their girlfriends, people they have crushes on-perfectly normal.
他們談論自己的妻子，談論自己的丈夫，談論自己的男朋友，談論自己的女朋友，談論自己暗戀的人--這種做法再正常不過。
We do the exact same thing and were "flaunting it," were "making an issue out of it," and that's a double standard.
而當我們做完全相同的事情的時候，我們就變成了"自我標榜"、"小題大做"，這顯然是雙重標準。
And it's not fair.
這顯然不公平。
And I don't mean to pick on my mother here because, over the year, things have changed quite a bit.
在此我并非是想批評我媽媽，因為這么多年來，事情改變了很多。
She's grown; both of my parents have on this issue. They've been wonderful.
她也在成長。在這個問題上，我的父親和母親都非常寬容和通情達理。
Few years ago, I was home for Christmas with my partner, and my parents took us to this restaurant that they go to all the time.
幾年前我和我的同性伴侶回家過圣誕節。他們老兩口帶我們去他們熟悉的飯館吃飯。
So they know all of the waiters and waitresses by name.
我父母都能叫出那里所有服務員的名字。
At one point, we were sitting there eating, and my mother sees a waitress walk by and says, "Oh, Jane, come over here. I want you to meet my son, John, and his partner, Mark."
席間我媽媽看到一個認識的女服務員走過，她對她說："哦，珍妮，來這邊，我想讓你認識一下我的兒子約翰，和他的愛人馬克。"
I nearly spit my food clear across the table.
我當時差點把嘴里的飯噴到桌子對面。
Who are you, and what have you done with my mother?
老天啊，我媽身上發生了什么？
It was such a powerful moment.
那真是個充滿了戲劇性的瞬間。
It was a powerful moment, in part, because of what it said to me, which was, "You know what? We're not going to treat this like a dirty little secret anymore because there's no reason to."
它的張力在于，我媽媽的話對我來說，意味著"你知道什么？我們不會把我兒子是同性戀這件事看作是需要遮掩的秘密，沒必要"。
