When it comes to public disclosure of somebody's sexual identity or orientation, what happens to that person pretty much depends on what is at stake and whether they can wither the public scrutiny.
Public figures and celebrities are always in the crosshairs of the public's eye, so to speak, and are particularly vulnerable to intense public scrutiny.
Local public figures and people in public positions of authority are vulnerable to intense public scrutiny. An adult Boy Scout leader may enjoy high praise and honor in his local community because of his community volunteerism and dedication. He could have been a past recipient of a local, statewide or even a national award which brings prestige, high praise and honor to his character. He might be a family man, has a wife and children, and his closest friends will vouch for the integrity of this man. The icing on the cake, so to speak, is he teaches the gospel every Sunday at his local church. What more could a local community need or want for better men of such influence in a local community, right? But ...
There is another aspect about this man the public doesn't know. He has a secret life too. His secret life as a man who cruises other men for sex makes him particularly vulnerable to public scrutiny -- make that intense public scrutiny. If this same man has a proclivity for young boys, he becomes Public Enemy Number One -- a monster, a child molester, or just plain evil.
What happens to a person pretty much depends on what is at stake and whether they can wither the intense public scrutiny.
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Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. And, under a just God, cannot long retain it.
-- Abraham Lincoln
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