Outing Gay Traitors To A Nation Within A Nation

Outing: Shattering the Conspiracy of Silence by Warren Johansson and William A. Percy (The Haworth Press, 312 + pp).

In the opening chapter of Outing: Shattering the Conspiracy of Silence, authors Warren Johansson and William A. Percy begin by saying that outing "may become the great debate of the 1990's." That's arguable. However, the issue is worthy of a book-length discussion.

And in Outing, Johansson and Percy, scholars both, give the subject a thorough examination, from its use in antiquity to modern times. At one time, state the scholars, "heterosexuals...outed homosexuals to destroy us. Now we are seizing the initiative to help our cause--our [queer] nation."

Both authors, one of whom is a member of Queer Nation and ACT-UP, believe that those, especially the prominent, who are traitors to this nation within a nation, who "benefit from the movement that they scorn" while the activists risk all, should be outed.

Unfortunately, Outing mostly presents a one-sided argument. If the other side had been given more attention, the book would be of more value to its readers, many of whom may still be undecided on the issue.

Although Outing is often redundant and too pedantic, there is much in it that the average reader might find of interest, especially the historical information. Some of the sections I found particularly interesting were the ones about the homophile movement in Germany in the late 19th century and in the United States after WWII, the witch hunt for homosexuals in the government spearheaded by Senator Joseph McCarthy, and the outing of millionaire publisher Malcolm Forbes and Defense Department spokesman Pete Williams.

After reading Outing, I am still not certain that outing "the admirable, successful ones" is the best way to achieve role models for the gay community. How much of a role model can anyone be if he or she has to be dragged from the closet kicking and screaming?

I favor letting people decide for themselves when it is right for them to come out. The only possible use of outing I can see is when it becomes necessary to unmask closeted gays in powerful positions, who, like a Roy Cohn, work against the gay community. I am also not certain that outing hundreds of thousands of our best and brightest will automatically convert "the pariah status of the community...into a prestigious one."  It is elitist and outright insulting to rank and file gays to believe that if they are a mailman or corner grocer, they are less of a role model than a rock star or an athlete. These are the very people who can "disprove the demeaning stereotypes," such as a belief that gay men are only hairdressers, fashion designers, and interior decorators. It is the individuals whose careers Johansson and Percy see as "wholly undistinguished" who are the ones straight people encounter everyday who will help "end the absurd pretense of universal heterosexuality."

Despite my quarrel with the authors's position and presentation, Outing should be a welcome addition to any gay home library. Its particular parts are greater than the book as a whole.

This article was originally published in the Lambda Book Report (May/June 1994).