You know, it feels strange to see the issue of gay rights dominating the newspapers today. It shouldn’t feel strange, but it does. This happens every time there’s a major gay story in the news — gays in the military, Ellen DeGeneres, Matthew Shepard, Lawrence v. Texas; I see the word GAY in bold print on the front page of the New York Times or on the cover of Time magazine and it gives me cognitive dissonance.

Here’s this concept that has been a part of me ever since puberty. I never connected it to anything in the news; I didn’t know anyone else who felt this way. Homosexuality knew me intimately, knew my darkest thoughts, and I didn’t share it with a soul. We had a monogamous relationship; it was my secret companion. My Snuffleupagus.

And now it’s in the news every day, and all of America is talking about it. In fact, a large segment of America is obsessing over it.

It’s jarring at times. It’s like how you’d feel if one day everyone on national TV starting talking about your hometown, or if you suddenly saw a picture of your imaginary childhood friend on the front page of the newspaper. Huh? How could the whole country possibly be interested in something that is something so privately mine? The world has never been interested in the same things as I am. Until this.

At times, it’s a good feeling. At least people are unafraid to talk about this part of my life now. Maybe some good will come of it.

But that doesn’t make it any less strange.