Orientations

Outing

Alsobeing outedoutedforced outing

Definition

Disclosing someone's sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status to others without their consent.

At a glance

  • Means disclosing someone's orientation, gender identity or HIV status without their consent.
  • Takes away a person's control over a deeply personal decision.
  • Can lead to harassment, job loss, family rejection or danger.
  • Even well-meant disclosure can cause harm.
  • The safe default is to ask the person who they are out to.

In detail

Outing takes away a person's control over one of the most personal decisions they can make. Depending on where they live and who learns the information, it can lead to harassment, job loss, family rejection or danger.

Even well-meant disclosure, such as assuming someone's friends already know, can cause harm. The safe default is to ask the person who they are out to before mentioning their identity.

In a sentence

  • Mentioning her girlfriend in the group chat would have been outing her, so I checked with her first.
  • The school's policy treats outing a student as a serious form of bullying.

Where the word comes from

From the phrase coming out. The word became widely debated around 1990, when some activists and journalists publicly disclosed the sexuality of public figures.

Not to be confused with

  • Coming out

    Coming out is a person's own choice to share.

Common questions

Is outing someone ever okay?

As a general rule, no. Disclosing someone's orientation, gender identity or HIV status without consent can put them at real risk. If you are unsure, ask the person who knows and what they are comfortable with.

What should I do if I accidentally outed someone?

Tell them what happened as soon as possible, apologise, and ask how you can help limit any harm. Do not spread the information further.

Related terms