ABSTRACT
The process of transgender emergence resembles the coming out that has been described in the literature on gay and lesbian identity development. “Coming out” is an expression developed within the lesbian and gay liberation movement and is now used within mainstream culture to describe any personal disclosure, usually one that has some stigma attached to it. Although people today will often say that they are coming out as alcoholics, incest survivors, or even members of a religious community, coming out initially referred specifically to disclosures about sexual orientation, particularly homosexuality. Coming out can be used to describe the experience of admitting something to oneself (e.g., “When did you first realize that you were gay?”) and coming out can mean the first time you chose to disclose something to another person. Coming out is a lifelong venture. It never ends because there are always people who do not yet know (Cohen and SavinWilliams, 1996).
