A short trip or excursion for enjoyment, or the act of publicly revealing someone's secret identity.
From 'out' (Old English ut) plus '-ing' (making a noun). The 'short trip' meaning emerged in the 1800s; the 'revealing secrets' meaning was coined in the 1990s by LGBTQ activists.
The two meanings are surprisingly opposite—one means going out for fun, the other means exposing someone who wanted to stay hidden—making 'outing' one of English's most contradictory words.
In modern usage, 'outing' someone's sexual orientation or gender identity became weaponized primarily against LGBTQ+ individuals—especially women and trans people—as a tool of social control and violation of privacy. The term emerged from homophobic/transphobic contexts where revealing identity was treated as exposure or shame.
Use only with explicit consent and in contexts of voluntary public declaration. Avoid in contexts implying coercion, shame, or violation of someone's privacy or agency.
["disclosure (voluntary)","coming out (self-initiated)","public declaration"]
LGBTQ+ activists reclaimed agency over their own narratives and identities; respect their self-determined timelines and language choices about visibility.
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