...of a general societal acceptance of gender and sexuality variations as part of the new "normal," so that sensible people feel free to make silly jokes about things that were once so taboo that one couldn't even breathe the word, like Oscar Wilde's Love that dare not speak its name.

Think of how carefully Rock Hudson and Raymond Burr concealed their homosexuality, inventing faux girlfriends and hinting at romantic interests that didn't exist whilst carefully hiding their real lives from the world.

Then think of Anne Heche, and how little ripple there was about her dalliance with Ellen Degeneres*, and how quickly she disappeared when she returned to profoundly silly heterosexuality. Hell, being queer was the best thing that ever happened to her, even if only Queer for a Day. Has it been so long since Ellen "came out?" Can anyone remember how little kerfluffle there was, and how silly the few mad wet hens looked squawking about with their feathers all ruffled? Cluck, cluck, cluck.

We live in a different age, when children can say, "You're so gay," and mean whatever they want to mean by it, whether good or bad. It could even be the name of a show on the telly.

Who would have thought, just twenty years ago, even ten, that a show called "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" could ever be on the television? Well, okay, so it's on cable, but not on the weird cable that one pays extra for, just normal base subscription cable that everyone receives with the "package," (not that I mean anything *odd* by that).

Queer, isn't it?

* Except amongst the profoundly stupid and hateful, but like the poor, they are always with us. Polite people ignore them as much as possible, even if they do have a party these days.