For a lot of people, they stay in the closet because they built a "normal" life for themselves (wife, 2.5 kids, SUV in the driveway) long before they came to terms with their dressing. It's easy for someone young to criticize older people for being closeted, but just imagine how hard it would be to deal with something like this before the Internet and the resources and communication it allows. I'm on the older end of the "Internet Generation", and can still remember the days of FidoNet and the "GayTeen" forum on my local BBS, which is where I first learned about transgenderism. But for a kid growing up in the 70s or early 80s (let alone 1950s), the resources to really understand what the hell was wrong with you were virtually nonexistent. It's relatively easy to come out of the closet when you're 22, it's a lot tougher if you don't come to accept yourself until you're 50 years old.
I'm still coming out gradually. I've told most of my close friends and some family at this point, but I'm not out at work (and probably never will be unless I transition). But I didn't really accept myself until I was about 25, and was well into my career. I only have about 5 years as a "grown-up" to deal with, imagine if you're 30 years into being an adult, and have all the responsibilities that come with that...many people don't want to jeopardize their current lives, and I can totally respect that. I wish I had comes to terms in high school or college...my life now would be VERY different.
