Yes, it gives the impression that if you state the name of your same sex partner you are being 'openly' gay, whereas if you said it about your opposite sex partner, people wouldn't say someone was being openly straight. It's a hangover from when homosexual people had to hide their sexuality.
Describing a character with a same sex partner in a film as being openly gay supports the idea that we have a different attitude to gay people.
I think it's more that most people are assumed to be hetrosexual unless they indicate otherwise.
To do otherwise would be considered impolite, surely?
Given that the majority are hetrosexual
Anyway not everyone goes around wearing their sexuality on their sleeve.
Gay people sometimes appear to because they want to accepted for who they are, sexuality wise.
If you are hetrosexual people just assume and that's fine.
If hetrosexuals are too openly hetrosexual people start wondering what is wrong with them.
Like an old man trying and showing he can still pull the young girls.
I think being openly gay is just as much as about confirming your own sexuality, so other people don't make mistakes.
A bit like wearing a wedding ring.
People like to send signals as to whether they available or not, and who too.
Couples like to be recognised as a couple.
I don't suppose being gay changes that.
Being openly gay can just mean, I'm attached as a couple to this person of the same sex.
It's just human beings really, setting boundaries.
It doesn't have to be negative.
I think hetrosexual people do it all the time but as it's an assumed state, it's just more subtle.
