Close-mindedness hurts everyone.
Instead of depicting only his own suffering, Mark gives serious consideration to the psychological health of his family members, showing that the damaged culture of repression and fear in the 50's and 60's took its toll on everyone, not just Mark. Sally finds herself lost in a painful life of prostitution. Mark's mother drinks to forget the pain of life.
Freedom comes from accepting who you really are.
Mark makes a comment in the memoir that sometimes the very things that hurt the most are the same things that bring healing. This idea means that although being gay caused him pain in his life, like when his mother embarrassed him for dressing up and having fun, ultimately his ability to accept himself as a homosexual was the door to his emotional freedom, and he realizes that his family's misery comes from their repression of their selves.
Homosexuality isn't the "wrong" orientation.
Mark stands firmly on his own side, defending his homosexuality as an inherently good thing, a source of beauty and joy in his life. He appreciates the way his sensitivity makes him into a powerful poet and a peaceful person. To say that someone's identity is "wrong" is to participate in repression, and Mark explains throughout the novel why he refuses to participate in those kinds of moralistic games.
