Coming out of the closet , often shortened to coming out , is a metaphor for LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation or of their gender identity. The term coming out can also be used in various non-LGBT applications e. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of the closet is described and experienced variously as a psychological process or journey;  decision-making or risk-taking ; a strategy or plan; a mass or public event; a speech act and a matter of personal identity ; a rite of passage ; liberation or emancipation from oppression ; an ordeal ;  a means toward feeling gay pride instead of shame and social stigma ; or even career suicide. American gender theorist Judith Butler argues that the process of "coming out" does not free gay people from oppression. Although they may feel free to act as themselves, the opacity involved in entering a non-heterosexual territory insinuates judgment upon their identity, she argues in Imitation and Gender Insubordination
Coming out - Wikipedia
By Andy Coghlan. Two gene variants have been found to be more common in gay men, adding to mounting evidence that sexual orientation is at least partly biologically determined. How does this change what we already knew? We have known for decades that sexual orientation is partly heritable in men, thanks to studies of families in which some people are straight and some people are gay.
Israel's education minister faces calls to resign over comments on 'gay conversion' therapy
Determining your sexual orientation can be a confusing experience, but only you can truly determine it, on your own terms. There's no test for it yet, so the most reliable method is to look at your history and feelings, and make an educated guess. Below is some helpful information on figuring out a little more about your sexuality. Note: In this guide, the term gay has been used to include all forms of attraction to the same gender, whether that be people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, or other. If you have had only had crushes on people of a different gender, you are probably straight.
Questioning your sexual orientation or gender identity can be difficult, often because of other peoples' attitudes. But it could help you make sense of feelings you've had for a long time. Whether you're straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, there's no reason not to feel confident and proud of who you are. Sexuality isn't just about sex, it's about your feelings, emotions, attractions and desires and how you express these. It includes whether we're attracted to people the same gender as you, a different gender, or are attracted to more than one gender which is what makes up what is known as our sexual orientation — whether we identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual as well as what we do sexually.