Coming out is an intensely personal process, but it's also not all about yourselves. Over the years, a few people have told me that my being out at work (and earlier, at school) was encouraging to them because they could see an example of someone who could succeed and be happy at work and in their personal life while being out.   One of the reasons the U.S. has over one decade become so gay-friendly is that an entire generation of gay men and women had the courage to have difficult con