Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are

Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are examines the variety of ways various people and groups use the concept of coming out to resist stigma and mobilize for social change. It examines how American lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) people have used the term in different ways over time. It also examines how four diverse U.S. social movements--the fat acceptance movement, undocumented immigrant youth movement, the plural-marriage family movement among Mormon fundamentalist polygamists, and the #MeToo movement--have employed the concept to advance their cause. It sheds light on these particular struggles, while illuminating broader questions regarding social change, cultural meaning, and collective mobilization.

While people used to conceal the fact that they were gay or lesbian to protect themselves from stigma and discrimination, it is now commonplace for people to "come out" and encourage others to do so as well. Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are systematically examines how coming out has moved beyond gay and lesbian rights groups and how different groups wrestle with the politics of coming out in their efforts to resist stigma and enact social change. It shows how different experiences and disparate risks of disclosure shape these groups'' collective strategies. Through scores of interviews with LGBTQ+ people, undocumented immigrant youth, fat acceptance activists, Mormon fundamentalist polygamists, and sexual harassment lawyers and activists in the era of the #MeToo movement, Come Out, Come Out, Whoever You Are explains why so many different groups gravitate toward the term coming out. By focusing on the personal and political resonance of coming out, it provides a novel way to understand how identity politics work in America today.