I agree. That's why we must push back and be the center of reasonable perspective. And you know what, if somebody doesn't want to bake me a cake,n I thank them for giving me a heads up because who knows what they'd put in it if I forced them.

Now housing and accommodations is a little different. I experienced an instance where it became known I was gay at a senior high rise I lived in. I've been out of the closet for 48 years but it didn't mean I told the world. Well, they figured out I was gay and it became uncomfortable. Men friends became distant as they didn't want it to be thought they were gay and the woman became distant too. In the Midwest, religious prejudice is still a factor in life here. My outing cane at a time when I was looking for a new place to live. I'd heard about one my neighbor who had found a new place, so I called up and began the application process. I made the mistake of telling that mgr at the new complex run by the Lutherans, that I heard about their place from a neighbor. We exited the phone call with the plan she was going to mail me an application. I never got the application. What I firmly believe happened was the apt mgr at the new complex called my neighbor to see if I'd be a good prospective tenant. Im 99.9% certain my neighbor told her I was gay. Of course she did. That's big gossip to Midwest religious conservatives. I waited for the application but it never arrived. So I called up the new place and asked why I haven't received my application. This place was across the border in another state. The mgr got all phony as all straight unsophisticated people do as they laugh when they're talking to you. I've experienced that condescending laugh many times. I know it when I hear it. She told me she was going to have her husband deliver it to me since he worked in the city I live in. I thought that's odd. It eventually came over a month later but by then I'd accepted a a new opportunity to move to a regular apartment not in a senior environment. I was pissed though as I knew what happened. That Lutheran services residential home wasn't going to have no queers. She wanted her husband to see if I was a stereotype.

Fast forward about four months. I've been in my new apartment. I had some people I knew at the old senior place I'd been outed at over for supper. I was reluctant but I don't have a lot of friends where I live. It's difficult to make new friends when you're older. One of my supper guest was a 70 year old bachelor who I firmly believe is a closet case. He was one who outed me in that previous place I lived. We had been friends who'd take walks together but when I was outed he'd have me meet him in the park to do our walk rather than walk out of the bldg together where everybody could see us walking to the park. He didn't want people thinking he was gay. I kept my anger at this prejudice hidden. Even when I was called a faggot at the old building I ignored it because I wasn't ready to come out. I've never been a flag waiver because I know prejudice still exist.. Well, after that dinner party and some of the conversation that ensued I thought I'm not letting some 70 year old closet case virtue signaling on my reputation. So I wrote an email to the mgr of the senior high rise I lived in where I was outed and called a faggot and threatened them with an investigation by the state and remarked on the environment I had to live in. I also called that out of state Lutheran senior residential living place and called her out for her disparate treatment and said how many applications do you have your husband deliver? And accused her of being a bigot. She told me that wasn't true. Yeah right. I just wanted to put the threat of a full fledged investigation into their lives and to know I wasnt going to take the prejudice any more. I never filed a report of discrimination even though I had the evidence. I didn't want the notoriety. I just wanted them to think about how they're going to be when more LGB and T people look at their facilities. So yes, prejudice still exists in housing too, but now I'm out of the closet fully and considered an activist in the city I live in. I've made friends with city council, my council member and the Mayor. I turned an ugly situation into a positive and now I have a whole new sense of purpose.

PS- Because I was pissed off that I was outed and I needed to take back my identity and control the narrative, I thought if I'm going to have to out myself I'm going to do it in a big way, so I outed myself in a broadcast email to City Council and the Mayor, but instead of saying I was gay, I used the euphemism, "I'm a human being,", for every instance the word gay would have been fitting. I created all the situations that gay people are in where admitting were gay is used against us. It freaked out city hall. The next day I told the mayor to put gay where I said I'm a human being, then re-read my notice to publicly out myself and I'm sure it will make sense then. So that's how I came out of the closet to walk across the stage of life as a human being who happens to be gay.

@Mickey We have our red necky, bible bashers here in Oz but nothing like areas of the USA. I'm not sure why, but red necked people are shit scared of any difference from their own lifestyle.
I think it is good that people are educated about difference so they may gain some understanding, but many are a lost cause. It does not help regarding understanding when gender has morphed away from the biological to the ideological. Confuses the shit out of me too, modern "inclinations" catering to all and any it seems.
People are different, that is all. Not destroying other lives.........all good. Variety is good as who wants all the same? We would be like sheep and society would be very boring.
Great you have managed to turn an ugly situation into a positive. Good for you and lead by example. Hope you settle in well to your new digs.