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Authentic Argument By Coming Out Of The Closet

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Adam Rolston created this piece of artwork in 1989, intending it to be a take on Descartes’ famous quote, “I think, therefore I am.” He changed the idea from one of the mind and body to a thought about existing as an authentic and out queer person, by saying, “I am out, therefore I am”. The idea of authentic existence being determined by coming out of the closet is an interesting idea, and it makes me think; can a closeted queer person live an authentic life? How ‘out’ does a person need to be to be authentic? There are many factors that go into a person’s choice to come out of the closet, but the philosophers discussed in this paper outline general arguments that can be applied to most queer people. Note: Though transgender people are often …show more content…

This could be defined loosely as being true to oneself, or living genuinely. This issue has been tackled by many different philosophers, and therefore there are multitudes of different ideas about how to live in an authentic way.
Authenticity is about being true to oneself; it is a personal condition. In the real world, does this really matter? If a person can live inauthentically but be treated with respect, why should they try to be authentic? In some ways it may be irrelevant, but these days it is so easy to show yourself in a way different that you are.
Sartre is an influential existential philosopher from the twentieth century who discusses both homoseuality and authenticity. While Sartre does not directly address the idea of authenticity while closeted, he does have writing on authenticity that can be directly applied to the concept. This particular excerpt is from Existentialism is a Humanism: “We shall willingly grant that bad faith [inauthenticity] is a lie to oneself, on condition that we distinguish lying to oneself from lying in general” (Sartre 48). Here he clearly states that lying to others does not bar one from living a truly authentic life. It is only if one denies the truth about themselves, pretending they are something they are …show more content…

He is aware that he is homosexual, but chooses not to tell anyone because he isn’t sure how it would be received. He never talks about his sexuality, never hints about his queerness, but never admitting he is not straight. Could he be living authentically? Sartre would say yes, his life is authentic. This man knows that he is not heterosexual, and so he is not lying to himself. He knows himself, and therefore can choose how he presents himself to the world. This means he is living authentically, even though he is closeted.
In the real world, there are more factors that contribute to a person’s decision to come out of the closet. Since most of the world considers heterosexuality the norm, and may criminalize or discriminate against queer people, it can be quite dangerous to come out as queer in many places. Even in a safe environment, queer people often face workplace discrimination and higher rates of mental health issues and homelessness. If a person decides to stay in the closet to avoid these sorts of effects, they could still be authentic as long as they knew they were queer and consciously chose to hide their

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