Show 70 Excerpt - The Psychology of Coming Out

BY NOW THE term "coming out of the closet" is probably familiar to most people. But did you know that it was originally coined in the early twentieth century within the gay community to mean "coming out" into gay society, much like a debutante would announce herself in social circles? Later on in the 1960s, "the closet" part was added to the phrase so it became "coming out" to reveal a "skeleton in the closet", hence "coming out of the closet" to reveal a secret. We learned that etymology from Dr. Jack Drescher, a psychiatrist who has been writing about the psychology of coming out for many years.

KTD producer Sarah Gonzales spoke with Dr. Drescher to learn more about what impact "being closeted" and "coming out" can have on a young person's psyche.