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Beyond the Closet? The Changing Social Meaning of Homosexuality in the United States

Steven Seidman

State University of New York at Albany

Chet Meeks

State University of New York at Albany

Francie Traschen

State University of New York at Albany

Drawing on interviews, this article rethinks both the core ideas of gay culture and the contemporary texture of gay life. We argue that the categories of the closet, coming out, and a primary gay identity are linked to specific historical conditions. Specifically, the lives of many gay Americans have been normalized, even if incompletely, and thus are `beyond the closet'. This article examines the change in the texture of gay life today and the implications of this change for gay identity, community and politics.

Key Words: closet • community • gay • identity • politics

Sexualities, Vol. 2, No. 1, 9-34 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/136346099002001002
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