Every year, folks in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer communities observe National Coming Out Day in the month of October.
After the 27th anniversary last week, I looked through positive stories of coming out on blogs and social media, where individuals gained more visibility with their now-public identities. It led me to wonder about the other stories, the difficult and troubling ones that are far too common.
There’s nothing particularly wrong with "coming out," but when everyone is made to feel impelled to do so, we ought to ask: Why?
The Human Rights Campaign, one of the more well-known LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, had this to say on its blog:
"Coming out — whether it is as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or allied — STILL MATTERS. When people know someone who is LGBTQ, they are far more likely to support equality under the law."
Comments like this produce a narrative that stigmatizes folks who do not make the effort to be visible in every social relationship.
But to clarify, coming out is a process one has to continuously negotiate with throughout his or her life. There’s not any one moment or period of time when one comes out all at once because we live in a heteronormative society where the "norm" is to be perceived as straight and cisgender.
But some would even go so far as to say folks who don’t come out have internalized homophobia or another phobia of the identity or identities they associate themselves with.
This is a completely uninformed, neoliberal position that fails to take into account how visibility can affect different segments of our communities in different ways.
It places responsibility on individuals for systemic problems: High rates of homelessness among queer youth, escalating murder rates of trans women of color, police harassment and a disproportionate vulnerability to sexual violence are but a few of the troubles that disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ communities.
Twenty-two trans women have been murdered this year alone, and according to the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, transgender people were found to be seven times more likely to experience police violence and physical violence from law enforcement in 2013.
This is far from the only shocking statistic. According to a survey administered by the Williams Institute, about 40 percent of homeless youth in the U.S. identify as LGBT.
These are issues people who haven’t come out yet may be concerned with, as doing so may subject them to violence. As the aforementioned statistics show, these fears are far from unfounded.
Then, of course, there is the fear of rejection from family and friends who they may need for either financial or emotional support. Not coming out shouldn’t be perceived as the internalization of some sort of phobia, but instead, someone being strategic and cautious when navigating their daily lives.
For some, coming out at some point in their lives doesn’t make things better; it makes things bitter.
The promise made by some LGBTQ+ organizations that self-imposed visibility in every corner of life will effectively undo systemic problems is a preposterous one.
But if coming out is indeed a desirable outcome for everyone, why not work to minimize or abolish the issues that stand in the way of making that possible? The reduction of violence, rather than making sure every member of the LGBTQ+ community is "out," needs to take priority.
Aubrey Krampert is a UF journalism junior. Her column appears on Fridays.
