Lena Chen

Magda Knight from the UK alternative women’s site Mookychick did an interview with me on sex blogging and feminism. Here’s a snippet on the politics of coming out:

Magda: We were really interested by something John Barrowman said recently in a Metro interview, that he felt it was totally reasonable to stay in the closet if you weren’t ready to come out for personal reasons, but he hoped everyone staying in the closet for career reasons would make an effort to overcome their reticence. We’re thinking of all the celebrities and politicians and religous figures out there (including the ones that might be gay but are still anti gay marriage)… Do you have an opinion on holding back from coming out?

Lena: I feel really uncomfortable with the outing of prominent people, nor do I think that anyone has an obligation to come out. Even though if someone is relatively privileged compared to the next person, sexuality is an incredibly personal thing that belongs to them and no one else. Who knows if they’re keeping quiet because they don’t want to upset their family or if they’re afraid of being fired? Employment discrimination is a very real concern, since there’s no federal law against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Outing someone for political purposes — even in the name of progress — violates their privacy and also makes it seem like homosexuality is something to be ashamed of. Beyond that, I question whether “coming out” is really the most effective way to bring about change. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to “come out”, and queer folks who are further marginalized because of socioeconomic status, disability, geographic residence, and religion may feel particular pressure to make symbolic statements, but they’re also the ones who face the greatest repercussions for leaving the closet.

We also covered my upbringing, online harassment, the pros and cons of Internet activism and the feminist blog-o-sphere, sex work, and much, much more. Check it out!

(Source: lenachen)