Coming out

"Coming out of the closet" (very often shortened to "coming out" in winking reference to the public introduction of debutantes) describes the voluntary public announcement of one's sexual orientation, sexual attractions, gender identity, or (less commonly) paraphilia.

Other uses

Apart from sexual identity, it is becoming increasingly common to hear "coming out" used by analogy for disclosures of other private sphere characteristics, behavior or hobby, e.g. "coming out as an alcoholic", "coming out as a conservative" http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040203-103504-2926r.htm, or "coming out as multiple" http://www.2multiples.com/compd/. This is associated with a more general tendency towards equalizing sexual identity and other forms of identity.

Related Topics:
Private sphere - Multiple

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