No More 'Outing'

In the Summer of 2004, I began to share my frustration about closted, anti-gay politicians and high-level staffers with my friends and acquaintances. During those chats and in strategy talks about the launch of the site -- many with my blogfather John Aravosis -- friends and colleagues always used the word 'outing.'

At the time, I did not know that Michelangelo Signorile had written about the origins of the word and that its etymology shows the word was coined by a closeted gay man. Signorile, of course, is the godfather of modern day reporting of these stories. In the early 1990s edgy publications like OutWeek, took on these under reported stories -- with Signorile leading the way. As ACT-UP! was shaking up AIDS activism, Signorile was using the press to move his message -- and at a time without the luxury or speed of the web. His work helped motivate the founding of Queer Nation, an organization dedicated to, among other things, the reporting of closeted public figures.

You can't do what I do and not consider Michelangelo Signorile a pioneer and hero to more than one generation of gay activists. In 2003, Signorile wrote on the wored 'outing' in Gay City News:

The word was coined by a major closet case, William Henry III, a critic at Time magazine who is now deceased. He claimed that some gay journalists--yes, including yours truly--were doing this terrible new thing, revealing gay public figures' homosexuality, and he claimed that some gay activists had dubbed it 'outing.' The word stuck, though some of us hated its violent and special connotation--we preferred simply calling it reporting.

Of course, Michelangelo is 100% correct. And back in March of 2005 I said I'd no longer use the word. I've been slipping up. A lot.

Last week, a DC columnist wrote:

Rogers sees his outings -- a word he says he doesn't like, although he uses it more than a dozen times over a single lunch...

Society has fallen into a bit of a trap with the word...And I am going to try in earnest to not use it except within quotation marks and never to explain my work, but rather that of people who indiscriminately disclose sexual orientation of others for no justifiable reason. (Mario Lavendera, are you listening?)

I've made a pledge over at my site. Every time I used the word, except as noted above, I'll give a gift to Truth Wins Out (the national organization beating back the so-called ex-gay movement).

Keep me on my toes.

Outing is out. Reporting is in.

Comments

[connron]

When a straight man gets caught in a sex sting they don't call it "straight sex bust"....just another double stndard...sex is sex...but tapping one's foot is not sex of any kind in my book. Craig is still a jerk.

[MinneapolisGal]

I know there are straight women who nonetheless have had an intimate relationship(s) with another woman. It is possible (albeit not likely based on his pattern going back to his college years of being involved in same-sex pursuit of intimacy/sex) that he could be straight and sincerely love his wife. For this reason, as well as the fact it is more accurate, I prefer to use the word reporting vs. outing. I'll try and work that into my verbiage for now on too when speaking of these type of issues. Thanks for the enlightenment, and please keep up the work of exposing all those, including especially the hypocrites, who seek to destroy the seeking/gaining of rights/protections of "out" (ha) Gays and Lesbians who have to face the crap they do every day but choose to live their lives happily, honestly and proudly.

[TIME]

Keep "reporting" these hypocrites. Especially those who would pass laws making certain behavior illegal, yet engage in that same behavior.

It's embarrassing; is not a reason, to not report criminal or perverted behavior. It's not private if your in a public place, especially if you are an elected official that represents the public.

The people have a right to know if they elected a person who lied to them, to gain their vote.

Sen. Craig knew he could never be elected (from that district) if he told the voters he was gay.

[NavyMom]

Here's a word we should start using-passing. As in Craig, ect. are passing (for straight).

[bethinCary]

In case you've missed, there was that little case of Larry Craig this past week.

With nothing more than a foot tap-a man was deemed gay. The full scope of any investigation
has yet to be done by any judicial branch.
Yet one man was "outed" with a charge so weak he had to be charged with disorderly instead. He was "outed" by his own GOP, who did not wait for any evidence/judiciary findings either.
If that is the mantra for all of the GOP hypocrites who vote against gay rights-yet hide thier own closeted gays-then I think they are fair game for being "outed" or "reported"
on. the hypocrisy of exposing bigots who talk one way-yet act another-should be considered acceptable. Especially those who claim to be getting their direction from God-again, karmic justice.

[blueraven]

Nothing more than a foot tap? Excuse me, but then-Rep. Craig was one of the Congressmen who was reported as having had sex with male Congressional pages back in the 1980's. Now, he could be bisexual, but two same-sex behavioral scandals in one lifetime does NOT make the man straight.

[snaggster]

Out, outing, outed work just fine for me. Who cares what your critics think? They are just supporting the status quo for hypocrites. Go ahead and use your euphemisms. Seems like the first step toward selling out to me. I hope Larry Flynt doesn't start thinking this way.