LGBT Young Adult Literature/Coming Out

Coming out of the closet, also simply called coming out, is a metaphor that describes the act of disclosing your sexual orientation, romantic orientation, and/or gender identity, whether it be publicly or privately (e.g. with family).

This may be seen as a privacy issue as some people tend to out others (tell other people one's sexuality without prior consent), not to mention being a social issue because some employed LGBT people often feel that their job security is compromised. Author Steven Seidman writes that "it is the power of the closet to shape the core of an individual's life that has made homosexuality into a significant personal, social, and political drama in twentieth-century America."

Advice on coming out

• If you do not feel confident, you will need an LGBT support group or some friends to help you out. Some people think you may lose friends and family support but there are progressive families that tend to support LGBT relatives.
• Try to avoid peer pressure from groups. If you do not wish to come out of the closet, you do not need to.