Television Programs

In the last 2 weeks there have been 2 programs on TV which have interviewed gay persons. How I wish there could have been such programs when I was young but then homosexuality was never mentioned in polite circles.
Anyway, on Sunday the Australian 60 minutes had a section on
Dads Coming Out
One guy is now happily partnered and still is friends with his ex-wife and accepted by his teenage children. He is very lucky but he talks about being brought up in a homophobic family and society which was the pressure on him to get married. His father's view was
'Gays, poofters, just should not be allowed to live — they should be wiped off the face of the earth'. 'All poofters should be put on a boat, dragged out to sea and sunk'. That is what I lived with my entire life.
Since he has come out his father no longer speaks to him.

What a contrast to the interview on Talking heads
with Jonathon Welch an Australian tenor and choirmaster who has become well known due to a program "the Choir of Hard Knocks" which created a choir out of homeless persons.

He came out to his family at the age of 18. He related:
'I can remember it was a Christmas Day, and I said, "I think I'm gay." And my sister said, "I've known that for years." And I went, "Oh. Well, why didn't you tell me," you know? But my family has been wonderful, you know. They've just loved me and accepted me for who I am. I'm very loved. Very fortunate.'

How much misery is caused by homophobia. How different it could all be.