Friday, April 23, 2010

on Outing

A topic has come to mind through various forums this week on the idea of Outing, or disclosure.
With some elements of identity one has the luxury of choosing whether or not to disclose, and others are out there for others to know about right away. Or they are at least visible enough for someone to make an assumption which may or may not be correct. Some examples of these identities are: race, sexual orientation and class. You may or may not be able to tell these accurately just from looking at someone. The person then has a choice to confirm your assumption if you bother to ask, or to answer if you are confused and want to know.
I personally enjoy allowing people to struggle with trying to identify me racially. I like that people do not know "what I am" just by looking at me. It is interesting how humans (including myself) want so badly to classify and organize people with labels and boxes. Hence when I answer the question that I do not actually factually Know my racial make up, it leaves people frustrated but often in a way; intrigued. If I were to say "I am Latina" that would come with a set of expectations and assumptions about me and perhaps create a type of comaraderie with other Latinos. If I say I am Indian, which many people think, that offers another set of assumptions and stereotypes. If I say I am middle-eastern, yet another pile of expectations falls on my head. Even the title of "multi-racial" elicits only further questions because people want to know Which races are combined in you. Since my actual experiences do not fulfill any one stereotype, I enjoy the fact that on the outside the ambiguity reflects my internal mix. The fact that they cannot assign me a box with a set of characteristics makes people have to identify me in a more personal, specific way. 
Class and sexual orientation can be similarly hidden or revealed according to the person's appearance, dress, or company. Even relationship status can affect how others think about you. When do you Out yourself?
What aspects of yourself do people have to ask about or do they make assumptions about? Which facts about you are revealed on the surface and which do you have the choice of bringing up? When and where do you share which parts of your identity and experience?

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