Comic and TV sitcom star Ellen DeGeneres came out, loud and clear that she was a lesbian.
It was still a time when those words dare not be spoken by many much less in homophobic Hollywood where for decades the LG&B kept the closet door locked not only by themselves but by agents, studios and PR departments.
Careers were on the line with the fear of the public finding out the true sexual identity of their favorite stars.
Many said at the time Ellen had just taken a poison pill in regards to her professional career as a comic and actor. That the life of celebrity which she so enjoyed was over.
But as they say the rest is history.
Perhaps it was the right time for the right person to declare who they are.
Perhaps we as a Country were, although still infants in understanding, able to accept that, yes there are queers that we know, even ones we invite into our home once a week.
Fast forward to today where this writer is five months away from turning 60, is no longer in the closet about being bi, albeit I don't wear it on my sleeve, and Ellen well she's doing just fine thank you very much.
I've seen much over these decades of my life, more than I could ever hope for being LGBT, while we of course still have some miles to go as far as total Equality in regards to law and religion plus total acceptance by the still closed minded.
While laws can be changed, religion and closed minds are another thing, venues of which after awhile it makes no sense to continue to seek change when change in those respects are futile and it makes more sense to change what and who can be.
You can't change the spots of a leopard, to continue to try is a waste of time and energy.
Over the past couple of months I conducted my own "social experiment" by inviting folks I work with to "friend" me on Facebook ... most would probably LMAO at now finding they have been part of an experiment. That experiment has proved one thing which I have written about several times over these past six years of writing.
I'm the same person you knew before you found out.
All, some probably twenty or so by now, have not changed their outward ways to me at work, and more importantly none have "unfriended" me on Facebook.
It could be said it's because of my age, the fact many are from a younger generation who are more "accepting" or it could just be that perhaps finally in the grand scheme of things, who cares.
As the old cigarette slogan went, for Ellen, myself and countless others, "you've come a long way baby".
