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Difference between revisions of "coming out"

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(Made more bout LGBT outing by adding info from various other sources, removed boywiki template)
 
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'''This should really be more about homosexual outing. '''
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'''Coming out''' or '''[[outing]] oneself''' (a common short form of the expression "coming out of the closet") describes the self-disclosure of one's [[sexuality]] (also known as [[sexual orientation]]) or [[gender identity]] to one person, to a group of people, or to the public at large. It is usually used in an [[LGBT]] context, a process that is at once personal and social and often political.<ref name=glbtq.com>{{cite web|title=Coming Out|url=http://www.glbtq.com/social-sciences/coming_out_ssh.html|website=glbtq.com|publisher=glbtq.com|accessdate=7 February 2015}}</ref>
  
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'''Coming out''' or '''[[outing]] oneself''' (a common short form of the expression "coming out of the closet") describes the voluntary or involuntary announcement of one's [[sexual orientation]] to one person, to a group of people, or to the public at large.
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Coming out is not a one-off event,<ref name=Stonewall>{{cite web|title=Coming Out|url=http://www.stonewall.org.uk/at_home/coming_out/|website=stonewall.org.uk|publisher=Stonewall UK|accessdate=7 February 2015}}</ref> and is described and experienced variously as a psychological process or journey;<ref name="Coming Out: A Journey">{{cite web|url=http://utahpridecenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=44 |title=Coming Out: A Journey |publisher=Utahpridecenter.org |accessdate=2009-06-24}}</ref> decision-making or risk-taking; a strategy or plan; a mass or public event; a speech act and a matter of personal identity; a rite of passage; [[liberty|liberation]] or [[emancipation]] from [[oppression]]; an ordeal;<ref>''Belfast Telegraph'': [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/gaa-star-donal-og-cusack-teammates-helped-me-through-ordeal-of-revealing-i-am-gay-14536491.html "GAA star Donal Og Cusack: Teammates helped me through ordeal of revealing I am gay," October 20, 2009], accessed January 16, 2012</ref> a means toward feeling [[gay pride|pride]] and a move away from social stigma.
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LGBT people who have already revealed or no longer conceal their sexual orientation and/or gender identity are ''out'', i.e. openly LGBT. Oppositely, LGBT people who have yet to come out or have opted not to do so are labelled as [[closeted|closeted or being in the closet]]. [[outing|Outing]] is the deliberate or accidental disclosure of an LGBT person's sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent. ''Glass closet'' means the open secret of when public figures' being LGBT is considered a widely accepted fact even though they have not "officially" come out.<ref>''OUT'' magazine: [http://www.out.com/entertainment/2008/09/22/glass-closet Michael Musto, "The Glass Closet," September 22, 2008], accessed January 16, 2012</ref>
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== History ==
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[[File:Karl Heinrich Ulrichs.jpg|thumb|19th century LGBT rights advocate Karl Heinrich Ulrichs introduced the idea of coming out as a means of emancipation.]]
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The term is believed to be of early twentieth-century origin.<ref name=glbtq.com/>
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In 1869, the German gay rights advocate Karl Heinrich Ulrichs introduced the idea of self-disclosure as a means of [[emancipation]]. Claiming that invisibility was a major obstacle toward changing public opinion, he urged homosexual people to reveal their same-sex attractions. In his 1906 work, ''The Sexual Life of Our Time in its Relation to Modern Civilization'',<ref>Bloch, Ivan. ''Das Sexualleben unserer Zeit in seinen Beziehungen zur modernen Kultur, 1906. English translation: ''The Sexual Life of Our Time in Its Relations to Modern Civilization'', 1910.</ref> Iwan Bloch, a German physician, entreated elderly homosexuals to self-disclose to their family members and acquaintances. Years later, Magnus Hirschfeld revisited the topic in his major work ''The Homosexuality of Men and Women'',<ref>''The Homosexuality of Men and Women'', (1914)</ref> discussing the social and legal potentials of several thousand homosexual men and women of rank revealing their sexual orientation to the police in order to influence legislators and public opinion.<ref>Johansson&Percy, p.24</ref>
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By the 1970s, ''coming out of the closet'' referred to coming out of loneliness and isolation that heterosexual society had imposed on gay and lesbian people.
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 +
=== Anarchist and Communist involvement ===
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The first prominent American to reveal his homosexuality was the poet Robert Duncan. In 1944, using his own name in the [[Anarchism|anarchist]] magazine ''Politics'', he claimed that homosexuals were an oppressed minority.<ref>[http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15949 "Robert Duncan and Romantic Synthesis: A Few Notes"]. This article also republished as "On Robert Duncan" at Modern American Poetry website</ref>
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The decidedly clandestine Mattachine Society, founded by [[Harry Hay]] ([[CPUSA]] member) and other veterans of the Wallace for President campaign in Los Angeles in 1950, moved into the public eye after Hal Call took over the group in San Francisco in 1953, with many gays emerging from the closet.
  
 
== To come out or not to come out? ==
 
== To come out or not to come out? ==
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Among [[Homosexual]]s, this is an area of contention. Many feel that one's sexual orientation is a large part of who he is, and keeping it secret is a cause of stress, shame, and often [[depression]]. Most agree that in an ideal society, one should not have to hide what he thinks of as a harmless and innate personal attribute.
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Within the [[LGBT]] community, this is an area of contention. Many feel that one's sexual orientation is a large part of their personal identity.  
  
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Even [[LGBT]]s who consider themselves to be "out" should carefully consider just how many people really know about their sexual orientation. For example, "coming out" by posting one's real name on a message board is not the same as coming out by publicly announcing one's sexual orientation on a national television broadcast. Thus, being "out" as a Homosexual is a matter of degrees and not a simple dichotomy.
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Coming to terms with confusion about sexual identity can have both positive and negative effects on many aspects of a person's life, including social relationships, school or work, and self-esteem.<ref>Savin-Williams R, 'Lesbian, gay male, and bisexual adolescents'. In D'Augelli A & Patterson C (1995), ''[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=2wz9bPgFOFAC&dq=Lesbian,+Gay,+and+Bisexual+Identities+over+the+Lifespan:+Psychological+Perspectives%27+Oxford+University+Press:+Oxford&client=firefox-a&source=gbs_navlinks_s&redir_esc=y Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities over the Lifespan: Psychological Perspectives]'' Oxford University Press: Oxford.</ref> Coming out can be a difficult time; many LGBT people fear negative reactions, rejection and upsetting people they are close to. In many parts of the world strong cultural attitudes and discriminatory laws make coming out even harder.<ref>Amnesty International, ''[http://www.amnesty.org/en/sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity Sexual Orientation and Gender Rights]''.</ref>
  
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== See also ==
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Effects of not coming out have been the subject of studies. For example, it has been found that same-sex couples who have not come out are not as satisfied in their relationships as same-sex couples who have.<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=2392712 |year=1990 |last1=Berger |first1=RM |title=Passing: Impact on the quality of same-sex couple relationships |volume=35 |issue=4 |pages=328–32 |journal=Social work}}</ref>
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*[[Outing]]
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Findings from another study indicate that the fewer people know about a lesbian's sexual orientation, the more anxiety, less positive affectivity, and lower self-esteem she has.<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=9524921 |year=1998 |last1=Jordan |first1=KM |last2=Deluty |first2=RH |title=Coming out for lesbian women: Its relation to anxiety, positive affectivity, self-esteem, and social support |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=41–63 |doi=10.1300/J082v35n02_03 |journal=Journal of homosexuality}}</ref>  Further, ''Gay.com'' states that closeted individuals are reported to be at increased risk for [[suicide]].<ref>[http://www.gay.com/news/article.html?2007/05/04/1 Gay.com News], [http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3AEEZU_q-zA0EJ%3Awww.smartsextalk.com%2FPDF%2F0706_suicide.pdf+%22Closeted+men+at+suicide+risk%22+%22A+recent+Australian+survey+revealed%22&hl=en&gl=us Study: Closeted men at suicide risk] Cath Pope, ''Gay.com Australia'', May 4, 2007.</ref>
  
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{{boywiki|Coming_out}}
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=== Criticisms ===
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Many people believe that the closet narrative sets up an implicit dualism between being "in" or being "out" wherein those who are "in" are often stigmatized as living false, unhappy lives,<ref>Seidman, Meeks, and Traschen (1999)</ref> and that being "out" as [[LGBT]] is not a simple dichotomy. For example, coming out by posting one's real name on a message board is not the same as coming out by publicly announcing one's sexual orientation on a national television broadcast.
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Most agree that in an ideal society, one should not have to hide a harmless and innate personal attribute about oneself.
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== "Coming out" applied to non-LGBT contexts ==
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In political, casual, or even humorous contexts, "coming out" means by extension the self-disclosure of a person's secret behaviors, beliefs, affiliations, tastes, identities, and interests that may cause astonishment or bring shame. Some examples include: "coming out as an alcoholic",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2001/nov/03/weekend7.weekend6 |title=The show must go on |publisher=Guardian |date= 2001-11-03|accessdate=2009-06-24 | location=London | first=Louis | last=Theroux}}</ref> "coming out as [[asexuality|asexual]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asexualityarchive.com/asexuals-on-coming-out-experience/|title=Asexuals on Coming Out: Experiences|work=Asexuality Archive|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> "[[BDSM|coming out as a BDSM participant]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clarissethorn.com/2009/02/16/coming-out-bdsm-upsides-and-downsides/|title=Coming out BDSM: upsides and downsides|work=Clarisse Thorn|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> "coming out of the broom closet" (for [[Wicca]]ns),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2090966/ |title=How do I tell my family I'm a Wiccan? |publisher=Slate.com |date=2003-12-04 |accessdate=2009-06-24}}</ref> "coming out as disabled",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/15528|title=Coming out as disabled - Ekklesia|work=ekklesia.co.uk}}</ref> "coming out as [[intersex]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/la-radio-host-who-came-out-intersex-and-why-no-one-gossiped180713|title=The LA radio host who came out as intersex and why no one gossiped|work=Gay Star News|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref> "coming out as [[Dissociative identity disorder|multiple]]", "coming out as [[polyamory|polyamorous]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://m.nationalreview.com/article/380609/polyamorists-come-out-closet-celina-durgin|title=Polyamorists Come Out of the Closet - National Review Online|work=National Review Online|accessdate=8 October 2014}}</ref>, "coming out as a [[sex work]]er"<ref>http://www.xojane.com/issues/coming-out-of-the-hooker-closet</ref> or "coming out as a [[paedophilia|paedophile]]".<ref name=Chan4>{{cite web|title=The Paedophile Next Door|url=http://www.channel4.com/info/press/programme-information/the-paedophile-|website=channel4.com|publisher=Channel 4 (UK)|accessdate=7 February 2015|date=7 November 2014|quote=Controversially, Dr Goode believes that the that the most promising way to reduce the number of child abuse cases is to encourage paedophiles who have not yet targeted children to "come out"}}</ref>
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With its associated metaphors, the figure of speech has also been extended to [[atheism]], e.g., "coming out as an atheist."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.www.hlrecord.org/media/storage/paper609/news/2007/09/27/News/U.s-Rep.Pete.Stark.comes.Out.As.An.Atheist-3000553.shtml |title=U.S. Rep. Pete Stark "Comes Out" as an Atheist |publisher=''Harvard Law Record'' |accessdate=2009-06-24}}</ref> A public awareness initiative for [[freethought]] and [[atheism]], entitled the "Out Campaign", makes ample use of the "out" metaphor.<ref name="rd-out-annouce">{{cite web
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|url=http://richarddawkins.net/article,1471,The-Out-Campaign,Richard-Dawkins |title=The Out Campaign (original announcement) |work=The Official Richard Dawkins Website |accessdate=2007-12-30 |date=2007-07-30}}</ref> This campaign is endorsed by prominent atheist [[Richard Dawkins]], who states "there is a big closet population of atheists who need to 'come out.'"<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |url=http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2180660,00.html |title=Atheists arise: Dawkins spreads the A-word among America's unbelievers |author=MacAskill, Ewen |date=2007-10-01 |accessdate=2007-12-30 |publisher=The Guardian |work=Guardian Unlimited | location=London}}</ref>
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== References ==
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{{Reflist|3}}
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== See also ==
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*[[outing|Outing]]
  
 
[[Category:Sexuality]]
 
[[Category:Sexuality]]

Latest revision as of 21:59, 7 February 2015

Coming out or outing oneself (a common short form of the expression "coming out of the closet") describes the self-disclosure of one's sexuality (also known as sexual orientation) or gender identity to one person, to a group of people, or to the public at large. It is usually used in an LGBT context, a process that is at once personal and social and often political.[1]

Coming out is not a one-off event,[2] and is described and experienced variously as a psychological process or journey;[3] decision-making or risk-taking; a strategy or plan; a mass or public event; a speech act and a matter of personal identity; a rite of passage; liberation or emancipation from oppression; an ordeal;[4] a means toward feeling pride and a move away from social stigma.

LGBT people who have already revealed or no longer conceal their sexual orientation and/or gender identity are out, i.e. openly LGBT. Oppositely, LGBT people who have yet to come out or have opted not to do so are labelled as closeted or being in the closet. Outing is the deliberate or accidental disclosure of an LGBT person's sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent. Glass closet means the open secret of when public figures' being LGBT is considered a widely accepted fact even though they have not "officially" come out.[5]

History[edit]

19th century LGBT rights advocate Karl Heinrich Ulrichs introduced the idea of coming out as a means of emancipation.

The term is believed to be of early twentieth-century origin.[1] In 1869, the German gay rights advocate Karl Heinrich Ulrichs introduced the idea of self-disclosure as a means of emancipation. Claiming that invisibility was a major obstacle toward changing public opinion, he urged homosexual people to reveal their same-sex attractions. In his 1906 work, The Sexual Life of Our Time in its Relation to Modern Civilization,[6] Iwan Bloch, a German physician, entreated elderly homosexuals to self-disclose to their family members and acquaintances. Years later, Magnus Hirschfeld revisited the topic in his major work The Homosexuality of Men and Women,[7] discussing the social and legal potentials of several thousand homosexual men and women of rank revealing their sexual orientation to the police in order to influence legislators and public opinion.[8] By the 1970s, coming out of the closet referred to coming out of loneliness and isolation that heterosexual society had imposed on gay and lesbian people.

Anarchist and Communist involvement[edit]

The first prominent American to reveal his homosexuality was the poet Robert Duncan. In 1944, using his own name in the anarchist magazine Politics, he claimed that homosexuals were an oppressed minority.[9]

The decidedly clandestine Mattachine Society, founded by Harry Hay (CPUSA member) and other veterans of the Wallace for President campaign in Los Angeles in 1950, moved into the public eye after Hal Call took over the group in San Francisco in 1953, with many gays emerging from the closet.

To come out or not to come out?[edit]

Within the LGBT community, this is an area of contention. Many feel that one's sexual orientation is a large part of their personal identity.

Coming to terms with confusion about sexual identity can have both positive and negative effects on many aspects of a person's life, including social relationships, school or work, and self-esteem.[10] Coming out can be a difficult time; many LGBT people fear negative reactions, rejection and upsetting people they are close to. In many parts of the world strong cultural attitudes and discriminatory laws make coming out even harder.[11]

Effects of not coming out have been the subject of studies. For example, it has been found that same-sex couples who have not come out are not as satisfied in their relationships as same-sex couples who have.[12] Findings from another study indicate that the fewer people know about a lesbian's sexual orientation, the more anxiety, less positive affectivity, and lower self-esteem she has.[13] Further, Gay.com states that closeted individuals are reported to be at increased risk for suicide.[14]

Criticisms[edit]

Many people believe that the closet narrative sets up an implicit dualism between being "in" or being "out" wherein those who are "in" are often stigmatized as living false, unhappy lives,[15] and that being "out" as LGBT is not a simple dichotomy. For example, coming out by posting one's real name on a message board is not the same as coming out by publicly announcing one's sexual orientation on a national television broadcast.

Most agree that in an ideal society, one should not have to hide a harmless and innate personal attribute about oneself.

"Coming out" applied to non-LGBT contexts[edit]

In political, casual, or even humorous contexts, "coming out" means by extension the self-disclosure of a person's secret behaviors, beliefs, affiliations, tastes, identities, and interests that may cause astonishment or bring shame. Some examples include: "coming out as an alcoholic",[16] "coming out as asexual",[17] "coming out as a BDSM participant",[18] "coming out of the broom closet" (for Wiccans),[19] "coming out as disabled",[20] "coming out as intersex",[21] "coming out as multiple", "coming out as polyamorous",[22], "coming out as a sex worker"[23] or "coming out as a paedophile".[24]

With its associated metaphors, the figure of speech has also been extended to atheism, e.g., "coming out as an atheist."[25] A public awareness initiative for freethought and atheism, entitled the "Out Campaign", makes ample use of the "out" metaphor.[26] This campaign is endorsed by prominent atheist Richard Dawkins, who states "there is a big closet population of atheists who need to 'come out.'"[27]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Coming Out. glbtq.com. URL accessed on 7 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Coming Out. Stonewall UK. URL accessed on 7 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Coming Out: A Journey. Utahpridecenter.org. URL accessed on 2009-06-24.
  4. ↑ Belfast Telegraph: "GAA star Donal Og Cusack: Teammates helped me through ordeal of revealing I am gay," October 20, 2009, accessed January 16, 2012
  5. ↑ OUT magazine: Michael Musto, "The Glass Closet," September 22, 2008, accessed January 16, 2012
  6. ↑ Bloch, Ivan. Das Sexualleben unserer Zeit in seinen Beziehungen zur modernen Kultur, 1906. English translation: The Sexual Life of Our Time in Its Relations to Modern Civilization, 1910.
  7. ↑ The Homosexuality of Men and Women, (1914)
  8. ↑ Johansson&Percy, p.24
  9. ↑ "Robert Duncan and Romantic Synthesis: A Few Notes". This article also republished as "On Robert Duncan" at Modern American Poetry website
  10. ↑ Savin-Williams R, 'Lesbian, gay male, and bisexual adolescents'. In D'Augelli A & Patterson C (1995), Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities over the Lifespan: Psychological Perspectives Oxford University Press: Oxford.
  11. ↑ Amnesty International, Sexual Orientation and Gender Rights.
  12. ↑ RM, (1990). "Passing: Impact on the quality of same-sex couple relationships," Social work, 35, 328–32.
  13. ↑ KM, (1998). "Coming out for lesbian women: Its relation to anxiety, positive affectivity, self-esteem, and social support," Journal of homosexuality, 35, 41–63.
  14. ↑ Gay.com News, Study: Closeted men at suicide risk Cath Pope, Gay.com Australia, May 4, 2007.
  15. ↑ Seidman, Meeks, and Traschen (1999)
  16. ↑ Theroux, Louis (2001-11-03). "The show must go on". London: Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2001/nov/03/weekend7.weekend6. Retrieved 2009-06-24. </li>
  17. ↑ Asexuals on Coming Out: Experiences. Asexuality Archive. URL accessed on 8 October 2014.
  18. ↑ Coming out BDSM: upsides and downsides. Clarisse Thorn. URL accessed on 8 October 2014.
  19. ↑ How do I tell my family I'm a Wiccan?. Slate.com. URL accessed on 2009-06-24.
  20. ↑ Coming out as disabled - Ekklesia. ekklesia.co.uk.
  21. ↑ The LA radio host who came out as intersex and why no one gossiped. Gay Star News. URL accessed on 8 October 2014.
  22. ↑ Polyamorists Come Out of the Closet - National Review Online. National Review Online. URL accessed on 8 October 2014.
  23. ↑ http://www.xojane.com/issues/coming-out-of-the-hooker-closet
  24. ↑ The Paedophile Next Door. Channel 4 (UK). URL accessed on 7 February 2015.
  25. ↑ U.S. Rep. Pete Stark "Comes Out" as an Atheist. Harvard Law Record. URL accessed on 2009-06-24.
  26. ↑ The Out Campaign (original announcement). The Official Richard Dawkins Website. URL accessed on 2007-12-30.
  27. ↑ MacAskill, Ewen (2007-10-01). "Atheists arise: Dawkins spreads the A-word among America's unbelievers". Guardian Unlimited (London: The Guardian). http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2180660,00.html. Retrieved 2007-12-30. </li> </ol>

See also[edit]

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