I tend to agree with Jaime. People who are coming out will still find it necessary, and probably cathartic, to have a live conversation with close friends and family. I think the benefit of Facebook, like many online forums, is that it can provide perspective for people who consider the GLBT "world" a far away land with little or no bearing on their lives (i.e. people living in a social climate that discourages homosexuality or even questions about homosexuality).
I went to high school in a place and at a time when homosexuality was still very much hidden. I've received a lot of Facebook friend requests from high school acquaintances in the past few months, people with whom I would otherwise have no contact. My status can be a non-invasive way of making them think: "Well, he was a decent person, and he's gay, so maybe homosexuality is not all that threatening to my life..."
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