Some folks appear to think that coming out is one of those things that just happens and everyone finds out you're gay and you're done with it. Like, you've bought the last couch you're ever gonna need and that career thing is now settled and, oh yeah, you're gay. Glad we got that taken care of, right? ... Then reality hits and you discover that coming out comes in all kinds of stages. Face it: a lot of this we just make up the rules for along the way — how we're introducing our boy/girlfriend to our family, what to say at the HR department at work... it's more than just a change in Facebook status. And one of the most problematic for some folks out there is the Public Display of Affection. We see straights do it, and so, we think to ourselves, why cant we? Sure, there are places where it's perfectly okay, a non-issue, generally in those safe spaces we've created for ourselves in the big cities. But even those have come under threat of late — and it seems to me that we can handle this in one of two ways: either (1) we walk along, secure in our touching-but-not couplehood, or (2) we can hold hands like people in love do and the rest of the world can just deal with it. Personally, I'm a big fan of door number 2. I'm not stupid about it — even straight people understand there are times and places for everything — but I"m not gonna live a life in fear, either. Up here, in the Great White North, it's kind of a non-issue anyway — yes, we have some people who think the fags are getting a little too uppity... but then they're generally also the same folks who think women are too emotionally fragile to hold public office, and there's not a whole lot you can do about folks like them. But I say, if you can, if you're comfortable with it, if you really want to show the world that you're in love with that person next to you... then take their damn hand and be done with it. OK, this was a pretty short little storyline. Some fun stuff over the next few days, I think, maybe. And, as always, thanks for being such great readers...