HomoQuotable - Frank Bruni

"Voters in states with marriage equality on the ballot can tell us that we matter as much as anyone else. Or they can tell us that we don’t. Many of us—most of us, I hope—figured out long ago how not to root our self-esteem in the soil of popular opinion. But not everyone succeeds in doing that. Some people respond to the climate around them. They flourish when it’s hospitable. And when it’s hostile, they fail to, often falling prey to self-destructive behavior, and on occasion even ending their lives early. What sort of 'values,' family or otherwise, abet or turn a blind eye to that? 'Overt homosexuality' is a phrase with little currency today. But censure and condemnation of homosexuals still have traction. And a price." - Frank Bruni, writing for the New York Times.