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Salon Editor Comes Out

“The fear and paranoia are gone.”

Looking for a break from all the political punditry? Check out Salon editor Steve Kornacki's moving personal essay about coming out of the closet as a 32-year-old man. Beginning with the moment in 10th grade when he first realized he wasn’t attracted to cheerleaders, Kornacki recounts the long, agonizing process of coming to terms with his sexuality. Rife with inward angst, guilt-inducing sexual encounters, and lots of lying to friends and family, his story ends with him acknowledging reality to his loved ones. “This isn’t the start of some brand-new life,” he writes hopefully. “But now the fear and paranoia are gone.”