and gay people did not ask to be left alone, we attained societal acceptance through our VISIBILITY. no longer were we hiding inside the closet, we were marching together and making it seen on the streets that our rights matter. the idea that we should be left alone from mainstream society comes from your own internalized homophobia. if we never changed peoples views on us it would still be illegal to be gay. Im not saying it should, but I think we've gone too far the other way. Like, being gay should still be held in private, not something to be proud about.