 When asked in 2008 if he had noticed people looking at him as a "gay icon", he responded, "I've started to notice it a little bit, although so far it seems like I'm more a subject of geek affection than gay affection".Silver discussed his sexuality in the context of growing up in East Lansing, in an article about the Supreme Court ruling "Obergefell v. Hodges" in favor of recognizing same-sex marriage on the date of its announcement.He analyzed the speed of the change of public sentiment, pointing out that the change over only several decades has been palpable to the current generations.