Is outing closeted LGBTI people ever justified?
 

Most of us probably agree that someone who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex should have their own control over that information and should be allowed to reveal it to others as and when they themselves choose to do so.

But are there exceptions to this particular right to privacy? Specifically, if the person concerned is a politician (or other person of influence) who is using their position to impose or maintain a climate of discrimination and general repression against LGBTI people, but is in fact secretly LGBTI themselves, is a public betrayal of that person's sexual identity then justified as a means of exposing hypocrisy and strengthening the pro-LGBTI argument?

This is what has recently happened in the case of Republican congressman with a distinctly anti-LGBTI voting record. Was the journalist right to "out" him?

Here's an article by someone who thinks this particular invasion of privacy was justified.

[URL]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-sosa/aaron-schock-outing_b_4550604.html[/URL]

In this case, given the circumstances, it is completely acceptable.

If this politician is prepared to lie about himself, what else will he lie about? No matter which way you vote, you have a right to expect your politicians to be honest.

[QUOTE=BudgieJane;366499]you have a right to expect your politicians to be honest.[/QUOTE]You have a right to [b]expect[/b] pigs to fly...

I demand to have the right to have babies.

[QUOTE=xilman;366501]You have a right to [b]expect[/b] pigs to fly...

I demand to have the right to have babies.[/QUOTE]

Better yet, I demand not only the right to have them, but to breast-feed them too!

Hey Brian-E,
At first, I thought you were talking about Senator Lindsey Graham !

[QUOTE=xilman;366501]You have a right to [b]expect[/b] pigs to fly...

I demand to have the right to have babies.[/QUOTE]

Where's the fetus gonna gestate - you gonna keep it in a box?

To add a winter-olympic-themed quip: "He's not strictly a biathlete, more of a bi-curious athlete..."

[QUOTE=NBtarheel_33;366509]Better yet, I demand not only the right to have them, but to breast-feed them too![/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/08/19/la_leche_league_canada_rejects_breastfeeding_dads_bid_to_become_lactation_coach.html[/url]

:davieddy:

My co-worker and I facepalmed so hard when we heard about this, we were picking earwax off our wrist watches.

[SIZE="1"]Well, no, not really[/SIZE]

[QUOTE=tServo;366530]Hey Brian-E,
At first, I thought you were talking about Senator Lindsey Graham ![/QUOTE]
Hmm, has someone outed him then? Wikipedia just mentions that he has "never married and has no children".:cool:
The most famous example I know of is Ted Haggard (an evangelical pastor, not a politician).

[QUOTE=TheMawn;366542][URL]http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/08/19/la_leche_league_canada_rejects_breastfeeding_dads_bid_to_become_lactation_coach.html[/URL]

:davieddy:

My co-worker and I facepalmed so hard when we heard about this, we were picking earwax off our wrist watches.

[SIZE=1]Well, no, not really[/SIZE][/QUOTE]
And I've facepalmed too reading your interesting link. At LLLC's bone-headed bigotry, nota bene. From the article:
[QUOTE]According to LLL philosophy the roles of mothers and fathers are not interchangeable. [/QUOTE]
(Sigh...)

[QUOTE=xilman;366501]I demand to have the right to have babies.[/QUOTE]
And you don't? I can have as many babies I like, the only problem is to find the armies of women to agree with me without giving me purple eyes...

[QUOTE=tServo;366530]Hey Brian-E,
At first, I thought you were talking about Senator Lindsey Graham ![/QUOTE]

He's not officially outed, but in this house we refer to him as John McCain's butt boy.

As far as I am concerned, any politico who takes advantage of bigotry for political gains is fair game for outing. I am not sure how I would feel about doing it myself, but then, since I am not in the habit of consorting with high profile bigots in compromising situations, I don't expect to have to make the choice.

[QUOTE=kladner;366558]As far as I am concerned, any politico who takes advantage of bigotry for political gains is fair game for outing. I am not sure how I would feel about doing it myself, but then, since I am not in the habit of consorting with high profile bigots in compromising situations, I don't expect to have to make the choice.[/QUOTE]
Yes, it's a difficult choice if you are in the position to make it.

Peter Tatchell, co-founder of the UK based LGBTI rights group OutRage! (and an extremely accomplished and courageous general human rights campaigner himself) has the following collection of essays concerned with outing. They are all written rather a long time ago, but they are still relevant.
[URL]http://www.petertatchell.net/lgbt_rights/outing/index.htm[/URL]

OutRage! was responsible for outing ten gay Church of England bishops in 1994, and this was arguably an important catalyst for the subsequent soul-searching, which is still ongoing to this day, by the C of E concerning lesbian and gay issues.

Peter Tatchell's position is clear: outing is justified if, and only if, the individual concerned is doing damage to other LGBTI people by his or her public pronouncements.