Lesbian and Gay Professionals in the Closet

Abstract

The issue of self-disclosure is explored from an historical and sociopolitical perspective. “Coming out” literature and theory developed during the 1975-1985 Gay Liberation era provide a focus for considering the sociopolitical implications of the “closet” during disparate eras, including the McCarthy era in the United States and the Nazi era in Germany. Concerns regarding “closeted” lifestyles and public service are reviewed by considering the impact of self-disclosure upon the legacy of famous “closeted” figures, including J. Edgar Hoover, Eleanor Roosevelt, and George Eliot. Concerns regarding self-disclosure are juxtaposed against the larger limitations imposed by the minority experience.