douchebag. I'm pretty much straight too but I've witnessed verbal and also (twice) physical abuse towards my gay friends. One of them was kicked out of their home and ended up being homeless for awhile until they found their partner and he and his family invited by friend to stay with them. faster forward 6 years to today and now my friend and his partner are still together though have since moved out of his partners 'rents' place. My friend has not spoken to his family since being kicked out nor have they reached out to him. Another person, whom I just recently met, was completely and utterly rejected by her brother (an "Irish twin" to boot so really close in age and they hung out a lot as children) when she came out as a lesbian. Coming out as homosexual comes with a risk of being rejected by family you thought would be by your side til the bitter end. Coming out as straight (which no one really does as people tend to presume straight unless proven otherwise) does not come with such a risk. gay people would LOVES their coming out tales to be ones of celebration and acceptance and all around rad-ness. They don't want comments like "I'm so sorry" "That was so brave of you". Simply coming at gay should not, in a fair world, warrant such comments. But many gay people are not privileged with a fairy tale ending. And are abused and harassed and all that crap. Thus those comments come to play. And it is important to tell them this - that they are brave and coming out will be worth it in the end. Being in the closet sounds like literal hell.. or at the very least depressing as ****. People should be able to be themselves and live a happy life as themselves. This is why it is especially important for us straight people to be understanding, accepting, and caring towards our gay and bisexual brothers and sisters (mean any gay/bi woman/man not just literal siblings. just to clarify). As heterosexual, we are the majority of the world's population and thus tend to make up laws and what constitutes as good for society and all that stuff. So by being supportive we can hopefully create a future in which being homosexual means just as little as being heterosexual. And it's the person... the personality behind the sexuality.. that truly matters.