VIEWPOINTS — “Gays don’t have a genetic difference that changes their outward appearance. Hypothetically speaking, if a gay employee is scared that his new boss will not promote him because he is gay, all he has to do is not tell his new boss. But if a black employee is scared that his new boss will not promote him because of his race, all he can do is work hard to prove to his boss that he is worth promoting or prepare a lawsuit, if he feels he has been discriminated against. To reiterate, I am not saying whether this is right or wrong. I am not saying that gay people should have to hide their sexual orientation or that the majority of society should change its belief and be more welcoming to gays. All I am arguing is that the option is there. If a situation presented itself where being gay would be detrimental to one’s future (like in the employee scenario) or to one’s immediate safety (like being the possible victim of a hate crime), gay people have the option to not tell others of their sexual orientation and avoid the situation.” —University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student Paul Cruse III on why gay is not the new black [Daily Illini]