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The expressions "closeted" or "in the closet" generally refer to undisclosed sexual behavior, sexuality or sexual orientation. LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual " Queer studies " is the study of issues relating to Sexual orientation and Gender identity. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality. Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation Transgender (trænzˈdʒɛndɚ from ( Latin) derivatives Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. LGBT history refers to the History of Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and Transgender peoples and cultures around the world dating back Timeline of Lesbian, Gay, bisexual and Transgender ( LGBT) history Homosexual rights during the 20th century Gay Liberation is the name used to describe the radical Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender movement of the late 1960s and early to mid 1970s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender social movements share related goals of social acceptance of Homosexuality, Bisexuality and Transgenderism Lesbian This is a Timeline of AIDS, including some discussion of early AIDS cases (especially those before 1980 Poliamory pride in San Francisco 2004jpg|thumb|Representatives of the Polyamory community at a San Francisco parade Gay community or LGBT community is a term used to describe the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender subculture LGBT pride or gay pride refers to a world wide movement and philosophy asserting that LGBT ( Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Closeted Coming out (that is " coming out of the closet " describes the voluntary public announcement of one's Sexual orientation and/or Gender identity A gay village (also known as a gay neighborhood or by the slang gayborhood) is an urban geographic location with generally recognized boundaries Queer theory is a field of Gender Studies that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of gay and Lesbian studies and feminist studies the relationship between homosexuality and religion can vary greatly across time and place within and between different Religions and Sects and regarding different Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender ( LGBT) communities have adopted certain Symbols and symbolates for Queer has traditionally meant odd or unusual but is now also used to refer to anyone who is not heteronormative. Questioning is a term that can refer to a person who is questioning their Gender, Sexual identity or Sexual orientation. The countries of the world have a wide variety of laws relating to sexual relations between people of the same sex - everything from full legal recognition of Same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to Marriage. LGBT adoption refers to the Adoption of children by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgendered people A sodomy law is a Law that defines certain Sexual acts as sex crimes. The militaries of the world have a variety of responses to Gays Lesbians and Bisexuals Most Western military forces have now removed policies excluding sexual Hate crimes (also known as bias motivated crimes) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her membership in a certain Social group, usually defined The countries of the world have a wide variety of laws relating to sexual relations between people of the same sex - everything from full legal recognition of Same-sex marriage Heterosexism is a term that applies to attitudes, Bias, and Discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships BenPhelpsJPG|thumb|right|Westboro Baptist Church picket signs with Ben Phelps grandson of Fred Phelps Lesbophobia (sometimes Lesbiphobia) comprises various forms of negativity toward Lesbian women as individuals as a couple or as a social group Biphobia is a term used to describe the fear of aversion to or discrimination against Bisexuality or LGBT people who are bisexual or perceived to be bisexual Human sexual behavior or different human sexual practices encompass a wide range of activities such as strategies to find or attract partners ( Mating and display Sexual orientation is believed to refer to "an enduring pattern of emotional romantic and/or sexual attractions to men women or both sexes The most common of these are homosexuality or bisexuality but also include the gender identity of transgender and transsexual people and individuals who engage in kinky sexual behaviors such as BDSM or fetishes. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation Gender identity (or core gender identity) is a person's own sense of Identification as Male or Female. Transgender (trænzˈdʒɛndɚ from ( Latin) derivatives Transsexualism is a condition in which a person identifies with a physical Sex different from the one with which they were born Kink is a term used to refer to a broad range of sexual practices (sometimes referred to as "kinky" such as spanking, bondage, Dominance and submission The closet is a "life-shaping pattern of concealment" where gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex individuals hide their sexuality/gender-identity in various areas of life, with family, friends, and at work. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women Transgender (trænzˈdʒɛndɚ from ( Latin) derivatives Intersexuality is the state of a living thing of a gonochoristic species whose Sex chromosomes, Genitalia, and/or Secondary sex characteristics Individuals may marry or avoid certain jobs or social situations in order to avoid suspicion and exposure. "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". ^[1]

The term 'closet' is also used in a more general way for any behavior that is potentially embarrassing or controversial, and thus kept hidden. (e. g. , "He's a closet drinker" or "I'm a closet Trekkie". Trekkie (or Trekker) is a term used to describe a fan of all or part of the Star Trek Fictional universe. )

History of the closet metaphor in reference to sexuality

"The word closet was first used to mean secret or unsuspected as early as the 1600s, but not in relation to a person’s sexuality. Closeted also came into use around the same time and meant to keep something hidden or secret from others. Closet case, closet queen, or closet homosexual began to be used during the middle of the 20th century to mean that someone was hiding their homosexuality from others. Similar terms used around this time period were canned fruit, cedar chest sissy, and dry queen, which have now fallen into disuse. "^[2]

The closet, as it is now used, dates from 1950s post-war America, when the deliberateness and aggressiveness of heterosexual enforcement increased. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the opposite sex or to a heterosexual orientation "Gay people in the pre-war years [pre-World War I]. . . did not speak of coming out of what we call the gay closet but rather of coming out into what they called homosexual society or the gay world, a world neither so small, nor so isolated, nor. . . so hidden as closet implies"^[3]. In fact, "using the term 'closet' to refer to" previous times such as "the 1920s and 1930s might be anachronistic" (Kennedy 1996). An anachronism (from the Greek "ana" " ανά " "against anti-" and "chronos" " χρόνος " ^[4]

Connection between the closet and neurosis

Both scientific research and popular culture have purported the notion that there is a connection between being "in the closet" and neurosis. This article describes the term in psychology For the experimental metal band see Neurosis (band.

In 1993, Michelangelo Signorile wrote Queer In America^[5] in which he explored in depth the harm caused both to the "closeted" individual and to society in general by being in the closet. Michelangelo Signorile, pronounced (ˌsiːnjəˈɹɪlə born December 19, 1960) is a Gay American Writer and a national Talk Signorile promoted the practice of outing: publicizing, intentionally or unintentionally, the sexual orientation or gender identity of another person who would prefer to keep this information secret. In the late twentieth century outing became a common term for taking someone "out of The closet "—that is publicising that someone is Gay. Often "outing" is used solely to damage the outed person's reputation, and has thus been controversial. Some activists{ex: Barney Frank, Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts} argue "outing" is appropriate and legitimate in some cases—for instance, if the individual is actively working against gay rights.

Classic models of homosexual identity development (i. e. , Dank, 1971; Cass, 1984; Coleman, 1989; Troiden, 1989), and most prominently, the Cass identity model, have perpetuated this suggestion in the social sciences. The Cass Identity Model is one of the fundamental theories of gay and lesbian identity development developed in 1979 by Vivienne Cass. In the early stages of the coming out process, homosexuals are labeled confused and maladjusted in society. Closeted Coming out (that is " coming out of the closet " describes the voluntary public announcement of one's Sexual orientation and/or Gender identity Only by going through this process, these models purport, can one become a well adjusted homosexual.

Closeted individuals have also been reported to be at an increased risk for suicide. ^[6]

Classic research studies pertaining to "the closet"

The Tearoom Trade

Laud Humphreys' classic Tearoom Trade experiment investigated the lives of men in the 1960s who engaged in sexual activity in public restrooms. Laud Humphreys ( October 16, 1930 – August 23, 1988) was an American sociologist and author After observing the behavior, he arranged to interview these men in their homes and found that, other than their homosexual activity, there was little to distinguish these men from typical adult males.

Related terminology

• "Coming out of the closet" (often shortened to coming out) describes voluntarily making public one's sexual orientation or gender identity. Closeted Coming out (that is " coming out of the closet " describes the voluntary public announcement of one's Sexual orientation and/or Gender identity
• "Being out" means living a life in which you do not hide that you are not heterosexual, or more generally that you do not hide your sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Passing refers to the practice of a person pretending to be of a sexual orientation other than their real one, usually a homosexual or bisexual person who is pretending to be heterosexual. Passing is the ability of a person to be regarded as a member of a combination of sociological groups other than his or her own such as a different race ^[7]
• The Glass Closet (Harlow, 2006) refers to those who may not be out, even to themselves, but whom others can plainly see are, in fact, in the closet.
• A person who is in the closet may be referred to as "closeted" or a "closet case. " Calling someone a closet case is generally meant to be disparaging, and usually refers to someone (male) who seems to go to great lengths to prove or assert his masculinity.
• The term closet has been extended to indicate any identity or affiliation that a person keeps secret for fear of persecution or exclusion Acts of coming out are sometimes held back due to stigmas still present in today's society. (e. g. , because of one's religion, lifestyle, political affiliation, etc. ).
• The term "fire hazard" refers to a flamboyant or 'flaming' man who is, for whatever reason, not out and still in the closet.

Criticisms of the closet metaphor

Seidman, Meeks, and Traschen (1999) argue that "the closet" may be becoming an antiquated metaphor in the modern day for two reasons.

1. Homosexuality is becoming increasingly normalized and the shame and secrecy surrounding it may be declining.
2. The metaphor of the closet hinges upon the notion that stigma management is a way of life. However, stigma management may actually be increasingly done situationally.

See also

• Down-low
• List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people
• Homophobia
• Transphobia
• Gay community
• National Coming Out Day
• List of transgender-related topics
• Religion and homosexuality
• Denial
• Trapped in the Closet (South Park)

References

• Chauncey, George (1994). Parent article List of gay lesbian or bisexual people Siblings This is a referenced overview list of notable Gay, Lesbian or bisexual BenPhelpsJPG|thumb|right|Westboro Baptist Church picket signs with Ben Phelps grandson of Fred Phelps Gay community or LGBT community is a term used to describe the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender subculture National Coming Out Day is an internationally-observed civil awareness day for Coming out and discussion about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender is a complex topic where consensual and precise definitions have not yet been reached the relationship between homosexuality and religion can vary greatly across time and place within and between different Religions and Sects and regarding different Denial (also called abnegation) is a Defense mechanism postulated by Sigmund Freud, in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to " Trapped in the Closet " is the twelfth episode of the ninth season of the Comedy Central series South Park. Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940. New York: Basic Books. Cited in Seidman 2003.
• Humphreys, L. (1970). Tearoom Trade: Impersonal Sex in Public Places. Chicago: Aldine.
• Kennedy, Elizabeth. "'But We Would Never Talk about It': The Structure of Lesbian Discretion in South Dakota, 1928-1933" in Inventing Lesbian Cultures in America, ed. Ellen Lewin (1996). Boston: Beacon Press. Cited in Seidman 2003.
• Seidman, Steven (2003). Beyond the Closet; The Transformation of Gay and Lesbian Life. ISBN 0-415-93207-6.
• Seidman, Steven, Meeks, Chet, and Traschen, Francie (1999), "Beyond the Closet? The Changing Social Meaning of Homosexuality in the United States. " Sexualities 2 (1)

Notes

Further reading

• Epistemology of the Closet (reprinted 1992) by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, ISBN 0-520-07874-8. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick (born May 2 1950 is an American theorist in the fields of Gender studies, Queer theory ( Queer studies) and

External links

• National Coming Out Project