Colin Jackson coming out as gay didn't surprise many people. It made the headlines but after a kiss and tell was sold on him a few years ago, it was not much of a shock.
The response has largely been positive but of course the 'apathetic brigade' once again let it be known that 'they don't care' - questioning the validity of this as news while covering their Twitter pages in said news.
A relatively high-profile gay blogger I follow online recently derided the announcement. 'People don't care anymore', she wrote on a photo of her with her girlfriend. 'Really don't see the big deal, we're happy.'
Well lucky old you. I'm starting to think what was once apathy is actually just latent stupidity.
Firstly, truly, if no one cared then the phrase 'coming out' wouldn't even exist. Secondly, if truly no one gave a hoot then why, cemented in legislature, do gay people get treated differently?
Two years I ago I wrote a similar article after GBBO star Ruby Tandoh came out. In those two years, what's changed?
Well gay people are allowed to get married in Ireland now - but not Australia. Interestingly, the first anti-gay marriage advert aired only days ago - warning heterosexuals of the doom that will encircle them if they allow Dave and Bob or Sheila and Suzi to walk down the aisle and sing a few hymns.
And what about Chechyna? Obviously if you say society doesn't care, one assumes you have done the research to back this up. You've read the world news sections of the papers regularly, perused academic journals on gender and sexuality, or you've at least checked Wikipedia to see which countries it is still punishable by death in if you're even thought of as being gay.
Furthermore you will have read about Putin's mate, Ramzan Kadyrov, who abducts gay - or allegedly gay - men, throws them into what human rights groups describe as 'concentration camps', tortures and ultimately murders them. This been denied by officials, the excuse being that 'homosexuality does not exist in our country'.
But I guess, if you don't live in Chechnya, or Northern Ireland, or Russia, China, or most of Africa then you're doing fine aren't you? So - perhaps in your world nobody cares. In your white, Western and middle class world nobody cares if you and your girlfriend are together.
But actually they do.
Hence why you never really stop coming out. New work colleagues, the doctors, your mum's friends, repeating over and over at family parties why you 'still' don't have a boyfriend. Plus, you don't hear what they say about you behind your back. 'Oh that's so and so, she's gay you know.' They might not be packing you off to a conversion camp but you'll never lose that tag. You'll always be the gay one.
And sadly, you're going to get brought back down to Earth with a bump, when you're stared at, spat at or maybe worse. I hope this never happens. Because then your bubble will be burst and you'll realise, people do care. But not in a positive way.