Forever Coming Out

This book challenges the persistent myth of a singular coming-out experience and introduces the concept of the “safety dance,” a recurring and complex set of assessments and adjustments LGBTQIA+ individuals engage in when determining whether, and when, to disclose their identity. The notion of the safety dance is based on data and insights from interviews with 69 LGBTQ+ adults’ lived experience of identity disclosure and exposure (“coming out”) in various regions throughout the United States. Presenting first-hand experiences of LGBTQIA+ people as they navigate US society, it highlights the interaction of social forces (region, generation, politics) and social institutions (family, work, religion) as critical variables impacting decisions. Ultimately, it provides a way of understanding this ever-present feature in the lives of LGBTQIA+ people through examining their approaches, awareness, assessments, and adjustments to the social scenarios they encounter. Broad in its approach and subjective in its understanding, Forever Coming Out will appeal to scholars and students in Sociology, American Studies, Political Science, Cultural Studies, and Gender and Sexuality Studies. A valuable insight with compelling narratives illustrating the lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals, this book invites anyone seeking to understand the complexities and nuances of navigating the world as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.