What is your opinion about "outing" someone who is gay or lesbian?

Question

"Outing" is revealing someone's sexual preference to other people or the public at large without their knowledge or consent.

I have to write a brief paper for a sociology class on this subject. I know what my opinions are regarding "outing" people; though, I am very interested in knowing what other people think or feel about this process.

Some things to think about—for instance:

*Is it ok to "out" someone if they are living a hypocritical life? [If they are secretly engaging in homosexual activities while publicly denouncing homosexuals.]

*Is it ok to "out" someone because everyone has the right to know who is gay for their own protection? [In the interest of health, such as HIV concerns.]

*Should people NEVER be "outed" because they have the right to privacy and live their lives as they choose, just as everyone else?

Thanks for your time and thoughtful answers

Answer 1

no way on earth should you ever consider outing someone. That is just the lowest of the low. As for HIV concerns you are aware that single black females have more cases of HIV than gay people yeah?

Answer 2

As a general rule I would say outing someone is nothing but a form of gay bashing, you are trying to ruin their life, so you are no different from someone beating them up. Like any general rule, there are exceptions. To address the examples you cite:
1. I would say no, because I would not care to be in the same camp as that person, deciding whose behavior is acceptable and whose isn't, then passing judgment and sentence to suit myself.
2. Since STDs are no more common among gays than among straights, outing someone can in no way be considered a way of addressing a health concern. If you know someone has an STD, you should report that, but making their overall sexual preference public accomplishes nothing beneficial.
3. This is too blanket, as I said at first, there has to be some leeway, that fact that I cannot, offhand, think of a valid reason to out someone, doesn't mean that, in the fullness of time, such a reason might not come to light.

Answer 3

No, I'm not for "outing" anyone. Everyone has the right to discover their own sexualtity in an appropriate place and time.......EXCEPT for those who advance an anti-gay agenda (Ted Haggard, Mark Foley, et al.) while engaging in homosexuality. In that case, all bets are off and I am all in favor of "outing" the hypocrite. You bet. They, through their actions, seek to ruin and denigrate many thousands of gay people and their families. I consider it a worthwhile exercise to expose the life of one in exchange for saving the lives of many.

I can think of no occasion when "outing" someone as gay would be in the "interest of health". By the way, HIV is not a strictly "gay disease" and never has been. Buying into that belief has had dire consequences for the population at large and other minority groups in particular.

Answer 4

I agree with most of the answers above, and I think Indy T said it best. Coming out is a personal process which can take years for some people, and unless they are hurting someone else with what they do or say, there is no reason for anyone else to make that statement for them, and doing it at the wrong time can cause enourmous problems for some.
"For their own protection", everyone should use condoms. If they don't, then knowing the sexuality of their partners won't protect them from anything.

Answer 5

If for example I knew of a husband who had a male lover and whose wife I am good friends with..I would be in the same position as if he were having an affair with a woman. I might throw hints but nothing close to an 'out'.

If that person were leading a hypocritical life and especially so who is respected within the community, I am sure 100 more people would be ahead of me in line to 'out' him.

To 'out' someone for health reasons is very discriminatory because it feeds the assumption that homosexuals carry more STDs. It's none of my business and whomever they are having contact with behind closed doors ought to have common sense.

So the only people I would out are those who publicly denounce homosexuality. I wouldn't be bothered if they didn't push their opinions in the first place.

Answer 6

I believe that outing someone is almost always wrong. I was outed in my workplace by a "friend" to whom I was providing a place to live during a time of crisis. Being outed was bad enough, but the sense of betrayal was worse. But I said "almost"--if you think someone's life is in danger, I think it's your responsibility to alert them, even if it costs your friendship. (On the other hand, how can you know for sure that the person engaging in "gay" sex isn't being safe?) And if someone is publicly attacking homosexuals--actively attempting to sway public opinion against homosexuals, in other words--and at the same time engaging in homosexual acts themselves, well, then, I think they've set themselves up to be publicly outed. They've engaged in a PUBLIC debate that directly and deliberately threatens my life and livelihood. I'd be stupid not to discredit their argument, with whatever means I had at my disposal.

Answer 7

Never "out" someone. Being gay is an inner struggle. Society tells gays that they choose to be that way and some even say they will go to hell. If society said that they were born that way and that they were equal in God's eyes, you would see the gay (and especially bi) population soar. If they are living a hypocritical life.. oh well.. it's none of your business. If they have HIV/AIDs, so what? There are more straight people with the disease. I would rather see people (straight, gay or bi) forced to get a tattoo of "HIV" on there forheads than "out" a gay person if they have the disease.

Answer 8

Outing someone in most circumstances is wrong but the instances you named tend to be more the exception to the rule. People like Haggard who build cult followings based on promoting hatred and intolerance toward gays while living on the "down low" really need to be outed in the public's best interest.
While being a homosexual is not a reason to "out" someone(as being homosexual is not a threat to public health) if someone is HIV+ and knowingly ignoring/hiding that fact while actually doing things that do put others at risk(unprotected sex or sex without informing the partner of his status regardless of their orientation) it would be your responsibility to tell someone of his Status, not his orientation.

A persons right to privacy ends when it causes detrimental issues to society, such as having a communicable disease without taking precautions to protect others from that disease OR doing things that constitute a distinct conflict of interest which may negatively impact segments of society as in the Haggard case(or other issues such as being a police officer stopped for driving drunk in his patrol car as has recently happened here in Indy).

Answer 9

First, I have been outted to my wife for being a crossdresser by an illegally run make-up service so I can speak from personal experience.

Revealing someones sexual preference, gender expression, or any aspect of their life to others is the lowest form of hate around. They do this trying to prove their superiority over others, but in reality are showing their inferiority.

Society has been taught to hate anyone who is different in anyway. Why? I wish I can answer that. As such, many people think it is OK to hate others. With this hate, they try and ruin other peoples lives.

Maybe they think that they are helping by trying to get others to be like them. Sick sounding, but it is only a theory. In reality they are doing more harm than good. So much harm, they lower themselves to being sub-human.

It is nobodies business to know something that personal. Is a person is homosexual, then so be it. No one is getting hurt. If someone like myself enjoys crossdressing, then so be it, no one is getting hurt.

If someone has HIV, then so be it. It is up to the people involved to take normal precautions as you would with anyone. So what's the big deal? Just be supportive.

Otting a person, or revealing their "T" not only can hurt the person emotionally, but can ruin their family life, their social life and even cost them their jobs. Just dive into the headlines and see for yourself.

The only ones that I can openly see being, and I will use the term loosely here, "outted" are sexual offenders especially pedophiles. They deserve to have their identifies revealed since many continue on hurting other people.

But for one's own trans-status, never.

Answer 10

out all hypocrites, but know what you are talking about.

There is no reason to out someone for "health reasons." That is tantamount to accusing Gays of being disease carriers, when they are no more prone to carrying disease than anyone else who is sexually active..In fact, Gays are more attuned to sex diseases and probably are safer than most straights.

Everyone else deserves their own life as they see fit to lead it. They have their own reasons for not coming out. It is no ones business what they do in their private lives. Outing for the sake of outing always carries some kind of agenda, and it is NOT a nice one, that is for sure. Karma is a funny thing, what goes round comes round....that is for sure.

Answer 11

Thats a hard one!

I don't think I would ever out someone even if they were married to some. I would advise them to but personally I wouldn't do it. I make an effort not to acknowledge anyone I have seen in a gay bar unless I have talked to them or they talk to me.