General acceptance for the LGBTQ community and the individuals that comprise it has been growing over the years, greatly increasing the safety and ease of coming out. However, the actual performance of coming out, as well as the implications behind it, remains largely unscrutinized.
The very existence of the socially constructed closet in question reveals society's blatant division of people into two categories: those who are required to unveil their sexuality to the world in order to be seen for who they are, and those who are not. For a certain group to be forced to distinguish itself in this manner from the general population conveys the message and perpetuates the idea that they are abnormal, that they are Other. It creates an image of a society made up of straight people and anomalies, instead of one made up of unique individuals who fall in various places on the spectrum of sexuality.
It is important to stress that proclaiming one's sexuality not the crime. Rather, such a proclamation is a result of the real culprit: the need to do so in order to not be assumed straight. As things are, coming out cuts through the facade of presumed universal heterosexuality. It is a ritual that is only necessary because, without it, sexual minorities remain unseen and unheard. Therefore, we see that the ritual is both a consequence and a preservation of heteronormativity.
How can the societal demand for coming out be stopped? By ceasing to constantly assume that unless someone's sexuality is stated as otherwise, it is hetero. This supposition comes in many forms, from telling little girls that they'll find their princes when they grow up to the heteronormative format of sex education classes to casually asking a man if he has a girlfriend – the list goes on and on. These are the things that create the closet for people to come out of. So although coming out is celebrated, as it should be, we cannot overlook the circumstances that lead it to be a necessary procedure. It is time to deconstruct the closet.
Share This Article
