The 12 Year Old Wearing a Rainbow Patch

While working my retail job this evening, I noticed something strange and it maybe goes to show how "old" I've become or how things have changed with being a gay teen/preteen. While working at the checkouts, I saw a mother and her two sons. The children looked about 12 and 16. The kids had shaggy haircuts and dressed kinda punk/skater. Anyway, I noticed the younger of the two boys, who really doesn't look a day older than 12, had a large gay rainbow patch on the back of his jacket along with some "punk" style patches.
The reason why I found that so strange/shocking is when I was his age I didn't have an idea what it meant to be "gay". Yeah, I heard the term before, but it was always used in a negative context, and gays were the "ugly old perverts you saw on talk shows". Also, at 12 I didn't really know I was "gay". Yes, I did have and uncontrolable attraction for my male classmates, but I didn't know what to make of it or that it meant I was "gay". REMEMBER, I'm 27 years old, spent much of my early life in the conservative 1980's, and I grew up in a rural area. In additon to that, when I was 12, there weren't any internet groups I could confide in, no gay clubs at my school, no "Will and Grace", "Queer As Folk", or "Ellen". I was very much alone and had no idea what was going on with me. I had the pain of having to figure things out on my own and MUCH later in life when I'd talk to others and gain access to the internet or gay books, was I able to fully understand my gay feelings and accept myself for being gay.
I guess you can say I'm just amazed at how much is out there and how accepting people have become towards gays and how someone at such a young age can safely identify as being gay and so proudly display it. Although his life won't be a total cake walk (Sadly there are still PLENTY of ASSHOLES who hate gays), I'll admit that he's got thigns a LOT easier than what I've endured. He obviously has a family that supports him, online resources, Gay groups at school, and there are many positive gay role models in the media in which he can look up to.
All in all, I think this is a sign that things are moving in the right direction for gay youth and if my struggles/adversity in which I overcam(that ALL of us older gays have overcome) have made it easier for the next generation to accept themseleves, then it was all worth it