I read with interest Leonard Pitts’ “Should gay ballplayer be thrown out of the closet?” (Commentary, June 5). I thought I would relate an experience I had in the ’80s.
During that time I was heavily involved with the lesbian and gay civil rights movement. One evening I was working late and alone in the small office of a statewide organization when the phone rang. I was confronted with the voice of a young woman (late teens or early 20s).
With some communication problems, I finally discovered her concerns were about “outing.” The concept was being heavily debated in the lesbian and gay community at that time, and was just starting to be picked up by the mainstream press.
The young lady could not understand why my organization would want to “out” her to her family and coworkers. I assured her that was not our intent. Rather, the outing question raised had to do with situations like the U.S. representative who was against any legislation perceived to be beneficial to gays and lesbians but was seen to partake in the gay evening life of Washington, D.C.; or the gay speech writer for a well-know virulent religious-right leader; or the Baptist minister who on Sunday, with his wife and children in the front row, would preach fire and brimstone against the unforgivable sin of homosexuality but who had spent Friday night in the company of his male lover.
I tried to explain that yes, we felt her being able to come out to her family and friends would be good for her, but that we felt very strongly that was her decision and hers alone. I find it interesting (and somewhat comforting) to see these issues resurface again in Pitts’ column.
