Telling people that I’m gay isn’t a big deal for me anymore. I mention it when it’s relevant, and if someone’s shocked or offended, the most I usually tell him is to get over it and welcome to the human race. But when the news broke last week that two Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics officers were sentenced to mere house arrest for brutally assaulting two gay men, I was reminded that coming out publicly is still a profoundly important act—especially in Mississippi.
