Past tense of 'out'; to reveal someone's secret identity, sexual orientation, or hidden information publicly without their consent. To expose something previously concealed.
From the phrasal verb 'out' meaning to reveal, which gained prominence in LGBTQ+ communities in the 1980s. The usage evolved from the general sense of bringing something 'out' into the open, becoming specifically associated with revealing sexual orientation.
The ethics of 'outing' remain hotly debated - while some argue it's necessary to expose hypocrisy in public figures who oppose LGBTQ+ rights while being closeted themselves, others maintain that everyone deserves the right to control their own narrative!
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