Gay like me.

I am sitting as many twenty-somethings do on a Sunday afternoon at the nearest Starbucks. A little mid-afternoon people watching never hurt anyone. I am always amused by the characters that stroll into the Starbucks at Yonge/Wellesley--the political staffers (easy to spot, just look for a crackberry), the fashionistas, last night club kids and the ever present wannabes.

Wannabes?

Call it a by-product of Will and Grace, Queer as Folk, The L Word...the list is endless.

Wannabes are usually between the ages of 17 - 30, hangout at all the watering holes and desperately want to be part of "gay culture" so long as it is packaged in a loverly pink Holt Renfrew bag. Gone are the days where being gay is taboo.

This is a good thing, right?

The jury is still out.

What does being gay really mean? What is it all about? By Hollywood standards, it means being hot, young, successful and a party whore. We are constantly bombarded with a sensationalized understanding of what coming out of the closet means.

Admitting you are gay to your family, friends and colleagues can be traumatizing. The act of coming out is not the hardest part, rather its dealing with the reactions from others. All too often family members don't understand, friends turn the other way and suddenly colleagues go out of their way to not say anything "inappropriate". Everyone walks on eggshells. Mercifully, this is the good part. There are countless stories, like that of Brendan Tina, where internal struggle leads to external conflicts with sometimes tragic consequences.

So, what is the point of this rant? Simply put, Hollywood must be very careful of how they portray gay culture. They have a duty to not sensationalize the hardships faced by those who have the strength to openly declare their sexuality.

It's no picnic.