Yes, it is different these days. I think the difference is that we, as a community, have begun to realize what a difference it makes for us to live authentically. At the very least, it means that we don’t have to invest time and energy into being someone that we are not. We can put those efforts towards a much better purpose.
That is, essentially, what coming out is. We get to lay that baggage down and should not feel that we have to pick it up again. There a Rachel Maddow quote that I find particularly helpful:
“The single best thing about coming out of the closet is that nobody can insult you by telling you what you’ve just told them.”
