Thirty years ago isn't a long time. Ask cinchntouch about 30 years ago. Even in 1988 being gay in the D.C. Metro area was freakish. Now it's as outre as being left-handed. Back then, if you wanted to get out of the military, all you had to do was say "I'm gay". You'd be beaten up horribly and discharged. Now if you say "I'm gay," you need to be prepared to back that statement up before you can be discharged. Trust me, this is like going from prop planes to launching satellites. Not quite walking on the moon yet.