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Is "Outing"—Publicly Announcing Anotherperson's Homosexuality — a Political Tool, Cultural Honesty Or Blackmail

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Is -Hrs-fc i^eB-son IN A MORE courteous era, famous homosexuals were • comfortably separated from modem times by centu¬ ries, if not millennia, that lent all mentions of sexual Naming Names Is "outing"—publicly announcing another person's homosexuality — a political tool, a quest for diversity an air of the foreign and historical. There was Plato and Alexander the Great, Michelangelo cultural honesty or blackmail: and Leonardo da Vinci. The associations of homosexuality with times and per¬ Few national sonages so remote seemed to serve everyone's purposes. joumals paid much heed when Mainstream society found reassurance in acknowledging outing quietly began a few years back. AIDS activists across the nation that homosexuality existed, that it had always existed, struck on while never having to own up to the fact that it endured outing as a political tactic when not only in Periclean Athens but in today's Cleveland they grew angry over the AIDS policies of a handful of and Chicago. Cays, meanwhile, got to be identified public officials who they knew to be with some of the most illustrious monikers in the history secretly gay. A senior United States senator from the West was outed by AIDS of art and philosophy. Outing first Over the past two decades, gay liberationists groused emerged as a organizers after a series of votes that, activ¬ ists that the true contributions lesbians and gay men were major public said, was inimical to the interests of making in every endeavor of American life were ob- issue tvith the fighting the epidemic. AIDS organizers scured by the lack of modem, out-of-the-closet role death ofMalcolm soon materialized at the senator's public models, but politesse prevailed. Both the gay press and Forbes, earlier appearances with fliers that said the politi¬ cian was gay. A govemor of a midwestem the gay leadership courteously deferred to the desires of this year. the homophile rich and famous state and the mayor of a ma¬ jor eastem to keep their sexual orientation city faced similar treatment. Though some safely cloaked in secrecy. AIDS activists were not en¬ Though just about everybody, it seemed, had a best friend with a tirely comfortable with close compadre who had slept yanking these officials out of the closet, with this television star or that they invari¬ ably exigen¬ movie mogul, the rumors were argued that the cies of the AIDS crisis de¬ never dignified by the print of manded harsh action. gay newspapers or the rhetoric of Outing first emerged as a gay politicians. Today, such niceties have major public issue earlier this year in an entirely dif¬ gone the way of the Berlin Wall. New rules have been struck; old ferent arena: the gay press. A New York City homosex¬ ones are being demolished. The ual magazine, OutWeek, way America deals with homo¬ several times had run lists of sexuality may never be the same. celebrated New Yorkers What's new is "outing." who, the Outing is the practice of gay publication hint¬ joumalists' and political organiz¬ ed, were gay. These lists ers' publicly announcing another were routinely ignored — until the person's homosexuality. In the weekly ran a cover months since it has become pop¬ story, replete with partners' ular, outing has inspired much interviews, revealing that the recently deceased controversy and debate, most of Mal¬ colm Forbes had led an ex¬ it phrased in high-minded talk of professional ethics, privacy rights tensive gay double life. and the quest for tmth. In fact, Supermarket tabloids the motivations and posturing of glommed on to the story, and a all sides are often as venal as they quick succession of are elevated. And like just about everything that touch¬ outings followed. There were reports that es upon the confused way our culture deals with homo¬ miniseries-king Richard Chamberlain lived in Hawaii with a male lover and that come¬ sexuality, the outing controversy is crowded with con¬ back-bound tradictions that defy facile analyses of right and wrong. John (continued on page 165) GQ AUGUST 1990 160 ■rirs^ r»Grson (continued from page 160) Travolta had had also laden with disturbing inconsistencies. an affair with a male model. (The model, It's tough to swallow; of course, insisted that Newspapers that he was by no means made "Jessica Hahn," "Donna Rice" and gay and had slept with Travolta only to "Maria Maples" into household names advance his film career.) Chamberlain had have suddenly become staunch defenders no comment, while Travolta denied the of privacy rights. story, as did Mick Jagger when the ex-wife The distaste for outing has far less to do of singer David Bowie said she had found with any true ethical considerations of the two rock stars in pri¬ bed together one vacy than with the editors' own evaluation morning. (Not knowing how else to react, of homosexuality. What most editors she said, she had followed the really discovery by believe is that being gay is so distasteful padding into the kitchen to make the that talk pair of it should be avoided unless ab¬ breakfast.) Cold sweats, meanwhile, were solutely necessary. breaking out all over Hollywood and Man¬ C'- Few figures more amply demonstrated hattan, where in-the-closet celebrities this truth than the man with far whose death higher "Q" ratings than any of the launched the outing controversy, Malcolm above fretted over whether their faces Forbes. The would publishing magnate's alleged be the next to grace supermarket heterosexual affairs with checkout lines. some of the world's most celebrated women were the Since the media loves nothing more stuff of news than to coverage for years. Many talk about itself, the mainstream newspapers in America included that in- Talking about homosexuality, newspapers are often more invested in lying to readers than in telling the truth. press—daily metropolitan newspapers and formation in his national obituary. It was only when weekly newsmagazines — news reports indicated Forbes might also quickly weighed in with a series of earnest have been having homosexual affairs articles about the that miONS RUN DEEP. propriety of outing. This editors began rallying around the banner of approach allowed these serious journals to privacy. deliver the gossipy news about celebrity al¬ This prejudice has left American jour¬ legations while dressing up the salacious- A nalism ensconced in an NEW " ness of ugly incongruity. FRESH. their motives with talk about the When it comes to talking about homosex¬ right to privacy and about journalistic eth¬ THRILUNG COLOGNE. uality, newspapers often are more invested ics. CXiting defenders sniffed that they were in lying to readers than in only telling the truth. FATHOM. responding to the highest calling of Hundreds of journalism publicity agents in Hollywood by revealing the truth. Such and New York make their living by plant¬ high-minded talk, however, covered the ing items in entertainment columns fact that both sides of about this fracas were, to whom celebrities are dating. some extent, lying. Many of these items are patently false and intended The hypocrisy crowding the only outing de¬ to cover up the bate is celebrity's homosexuality. nowhere more pronounced than Many newspaper writers and editors know among the staunchest opponents of the this and cheerfully participate in the de¬ practice: the journalistic Establishment. ceptions because the bits col¬ To be sure, most help fill their major news organizations umns. Editors who would never reveal that concede that they would reveal the homo¬ a public figure was gay have no problem sexuality of a public official who had made with routinely saying that that same antigay rhetoric a person centerpiece of his politi¬ is straight. cal agenda. Most editors would argue that The deceit is the brazen and omnipresent. figure himself would have invited the Virtually all the media cognoscenti in New coverage by insisting that homosexuality York, for example, had heard talk of was an issue meriting public vigilance. This Forbes's extracurricular IS the activities in the gay exception, however, that proves the world for some time before his death. rule that the mainstream Yet, press largely re¬ the way the media told nounces it, Forbes was an outing. inveterate Editors womanizer. Such deceptions usually cite privacy arguments, have provided a powerful argument for out¬ saying they would not report on the sex life of ing proponents. After all, the ultimate anybody, gay or straight. Though such standard for journalism —of even pronouncements sound greater very principled, importance than the voices of these protecting privacy—is journalistic burghers are honesty. Whether all the truth should CQ AUGUST 1990 -ffirs-fc i^ea-son religious zeal. They are fighting for an end The AIDS arguments shouldn't belie the that is undeniably beneficial. always be told can be a matter of some moral problems with the breaking-eggs-to- It's the means that are so problematic. dispute. What is indisputable is that the make-omelets tactics. Coming out, after Without any doubt, tbe world would be an outing advocates have a tighter grasp all, has long been a matter of personal infinitely better place if all lesbians and gay on honesty than does the august journal¬ choice. It's highly ironic that gay radicals, men were open about their sexuality. To¬ istic Establishment. who would go to the barricades to defend ward this end, 1, for one, have made a Sobering inconsistencies, however, also women's right to choice in respect to abor¬ personal moral choice to be open about plague outing supporters. On the surface, tion, are themselves the most vociferous being gay. As a their arguments can at times be emotional¬ professional journalist, proponents of denying choice to their own however, 1 would have an extraordinarily ly convincing, particularly against the gay compatriots.
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