I agree with others in this thread that say that it wouldn't suddenly make it "ok" for us in the public eye, but it would be a huge step. I was talking to my aunt when I was home this weekend in Ohio and she mentioned how she never really understood gay people and was a bit hesitant about the way the culture was shifting in regards to homosexuality, but then she made friends with a woman who, although my aunt suspected it already, eventually came out to her as a lesbian. My aunt said that really did a lot to make her open her eyes and put a human face onto it, and now she's totally cool with it. (Sidenote, this conversation eventually led to me coming out about my crossdressing to my aunt, which she was very supportive about.)
Another example is that on the other side of my family, I have a gay cousin who didn't come out to his parents until this year, because they were very conservatively Christian and he feared their response. But once they got over the initial shock they have been loving and supportive of him. Not always the case in these situations, I know, but putting a familiar face on things does tend to help people with acceptance.
I can honestly say I didn't lose a single friend in the process of coming out as a crossdresser. The image of me dressed as a girl, or more often, of me as a guy in women's clothes, has not been something that my friends have had a problem with. Many people almost seem to forget about it, as a nonissue.
So would it make things better right away? No, but it would definitely be a start. And we sort of have to do it in baby steps anyway because it's hard to run in heels.
