Outing yourself : how to come out as lesbian or gay to your family, friends, and coworkers
No matter how much you prepare, coming out as gay or lesbian is a difficult, emotional process -- a process that will continue long after the words are spoken and the secret is out. There's no magic formula, but Outing Yourself by Michelangelo Signorile offers structure, guidance, and straightforward advice to all those: who are struggling with their sexuality and unsure of what to do, who have accepted that they are gay but are still afraid to come out, [or] who consider themselves out of the closet but realize they have farther to go. Signorile's 14-step program -- complete with exercises, meditation notes, and anger checks, as well as the accounts of the coming-out experiences of other lesbians and gay men -- shows how you can successfully handle this life-changing, life-renewing process. A guide for the coming-out journey, Outing Yourself will convince all who read it that, in the words of the author, "The stress of coming out will never be as hard on you as the stress of staying in was."
Print Book, English, 1996
1st Fireside ed View all formats and editions
Simon & Schuster, New York, 1996
Furman Center collection
xxx, 172 pages ; 22 cm
9780684826172, 0684826178
34024973
Part I. Outing yourself to yourself: Step 1. Identifying yourself ; Step 2. Recognizing self-loathing and creating self-respect ; Step 3. Learning the truth about being gay
Part II. Outing yourself to other gay people: Step 4. Meeting other gay people ; Step 5. Developing a family of friends
Part III. Outing yourself to your straight friends: Step 6. Telling your best friend ; Step 7. Coming out to other friends
Part IV. Outing yourself to your family: Step 8. That first talk ; Step 9. Keeping the discussion going ; Step 10. Bringing home your gay friends and partners
Part V. Outing yourself to your coworkers: Step 11. Understanding and assessing the sexual nature of the workplace ; Step 12. Letting coworkers find out
Part VI. Coming out every day: Step 13. Helping others to come out ; Step 14. Not thinking about it at all
"A Fireside book."