The closet

The metaphor "the closet" refers to a part of the subconscious and/or unconscious mind where people 'store' long term memories, unwanted thoughts, unresolved conflicts, etc. I.E. The boogieman coming out of the closet could be interpreted as being a child's attempt to confront an unresolved emotional conflict, such as the fear of the dark. Typically, it is used in reference to something about a person's identity which s/he wishes to keep repressed.

In Reference to Sexuality

The expression "being in the closet" has been used to describe keeping secret one's sexual behavior or orientation, most commonly homosexuality or bisexuality, but also including the gender identity of transgender and transsexual people. Being "in the closet" is more than being discreet or private, it is a "life-shaping pattern of concealment" where gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender individuals hide their sexuality/gender-identity in the most important areas of life, with family, friends, and at work. Individuals may marry or avoid certain jobs in order to avoid suspicion and exposure. Some will even claim to be heterosexual when asked directly. "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". (Seidman 2003, p.25).

"Heterosexual domination may have a long history, but the closet does not" with the closet dating from 1950s post-war America, when the deliberateness and aggressiveness of heterosexual enforcement increased. "Gay people in the prewar years [pre-WWI]...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" (Chauncey 1994, emphasis added). In fact, "using the term 'closet' to refer to" previous times such as "the 1920s and 1930s might be anachronistic" (Kennedy 1996). (ibid, p.25 and 214)

In 1993, Michelangelo Signorile wrote Queer In America (re-released in 2003 by University of Wisconsin Press, ISBN 0-299-19374-8) in which he explored in depth the harm caused both to the "closeted" individual and to society in general by being in the closet. 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. Often "outing" is used solely to damage the outed person's reputation, and has thus been controversial. Some activists argue "outing" is appropriate and legitimate in some cases—for instance, if the individual is actively working against gay rights. Closeted individuals are also at high risks for suicide [1].

Related terminology

"Coming out of the closet" (often shortened to coming out) describes voluntarily making public one's sexual orientation 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.^[1]
The term Narnian has been used to describe someone who is metaphorically very deep in "the closet," possibly to the extent of not realising or admitting to oneself that orientation . Narnia is a land in the books of C. S. Lewis which can be accessed by travelling through a magical wardrobe.
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.

In Beyoncé's 2006 single "Irreplaceable" 'the closet' is refered to as a place where unwanted memories of past relationships can be suppressed.

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 todays society. (e.g., because of one's religion, lifestyle, political affiliation, etc.).

Another extension of this metaphor is the "broom closet", a term which was used on the TV show Charmed, referring to people who hide the fact that they are Wiccans.

Otherkin also adapt the expression, replacing the closet with "wardrobe".

Brights are also urged to "come out", and Richard Dawkins refers to "closet brights".

Often used by the media outlets the "steroids closet", or the "Barry Bonds closet", referring to athletes who keep their usage of steroids or other performance enhancing drugs a top secret for fear of punishment.<sup>[4]</sup>

References

Chauncey, George (1994). Gay New York: Gender, Urban Culture, and the Making of the Gay Male World, 1890-1940. New York: Basic Books. Cited in Seidman 2003.
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.

External links

National Coming Out Project

Citations

[1] The Questia Online Library

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