- "Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity."
Learning about the process of coming out and the challenges faced by individuals who come out as LGBTQ+.
Terminology: Understanding the vocabulary used by the LGBTQ+ community and what each term means. This includes terms like gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, pansexual, and others.
History of Coming Out: The history of how the act of coming out has evolved over time, from being a fearful proposition to a more empowering one. Also looking at milestones in the LGBTQ+ rights movement that have led to increased acceptance.
Family Support: How to navigate coming out to family members, including the various reactions family members may have and how to work through challenges.
Identity Exploration: Assessing and exploring one's own identity along the LGBTQ+ spectrum and understanding the different experiences across different identities.
Legal Protections: Understanding the laws and legal protections in place for LGBTQ+ individuals, including anti-discrimination laws, hate crime laws, and marriage laws.
Mental Health: Navigating the impact of coming out on mental health, including therapy resources and support networks for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Religion and Culture: Addressing the intersection of one's LGBTQ+ identity with their religion, culture, and community.
Workplace Inclusion: Understanding the challenges and barriers in the workplace for LGBTQ+ individuals, and learning how to advocate for one's rights and seek resources and support.
Intersectionality: Addressing the intersection of one's LGBTQ+ identity with other identities and experiences, such as race, disability, and gender.
Allyship: Understanding how to be an ally to LGBTQ+ individuals, including how to support others in the coming out process and advocate for change.
Personal Coming Out: This is when an individual privately comes out to close friends and family members.
Public Coming Out: This is when an individual comes out publicly, either through social media or by making a public statement.
Silent Coming Out: This is when an individual doesn't explicitly come out, but their behavior or relationships make it clear that they are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Accidental Coming Out: This is when an individual unintentionally comes out to someone else, often through a slip of the tongue.
Forced Coming Out: This is when an individual is outed by someone else, without their consent.
Gradual Coming Out: This is when an individual comes out slowly over time, disclosing their sexuality or gender identity to different people or in different contexts.
Conditional Coming Out: This is when an individual only comes out to certain people or in certain situations, depending on how safe they feel.
Interpersonal Coming Out: This is when an individual comes out to someone they are romantically or sexually interested in.
Professional Coming Out: This is when an individual comes out to their colleagues or bosses in a professional setting.
Spiritual Coming Out: This is when an individual comes out to their religious community or leaders.
- "Coming out of the closet is experienced variously as a psychological process or journey; decision-making or risk-taking; a strategy or plan."
- "A matter of personal identity; a rite of passage; liberation or emancipation from oppression; an ordeal; a means toward feeling LGBT pride instead of shame and social stigma."
- "The power of the closet to shape the core of an individual's life has made homosexuality into a significant personal, social, and political drama in twentieth-century America."
- "LGBT people who have already revealed or no longer conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity are out of the closet or simply out, i.e., openly LGBT."
- "LGBT people who have yet to come out or have opted not to do so are labeled as closeted or being in the closet."
- "Outing is the deliberate or accidental disclosure of an LGBT person's sexual orientation or gender identity by someone else, 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."
- "A career-threatening act."
- "A mass or public event."
- "A means toward feeling LGBT pride instead of shame and social stigma."
- "Made homosexuality into a significant personal, social, and political drama in twentieth-century America."
- "A matter of personal identity."
- "Liberation or emancipation from oppression."
- "Experienced variously as a psychological process or journey; decision-making or risk-taking; a strategy or plan."
- "The power of the closet to shape the core of an individual's life."
- "Self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity."
- "A means toward feeling LGBT pride instead of shame and social stigma."
- "A psychological process or journey."
- "They are out of the closet or simply out, i.e., openly LGBT."