One more thing: you asked if it was "necessary" to come out? We've established that your own comfort level is what's important, but I actually think it will be necessary further down the line to admit that you have a personal interest in your research. Some might disagree. But I think the best research lays out your personal interest on the table, then makes a really good argument (indirectly) for why you should still accept the results objectively. By the time you get to the stage in your research where you'd have to do this though, you'll have already figured out that NO one in your community is offended or maybe even surprised.
yeah, um, i have played the queer activist role in a number of pretty hostile climates, so while i understand and appreciate your potential willingness to try and "get the concept," it doesn't really warrant you posting a reply to a question like this about safe spaces. grad school is often a time when major life issues pop up, and there's research somewhere that shows that mental health issues come about in grad school at an alarming rate, and when wrestling with coming out questions it's really important that queer people think this stuff through for their own well being.
like what other people said, sociology as a discipline is definitely among the most queer friendly i've ever seen. i'm leaving a program in sociology at a school of education (where sexuality stuff SUCKS, by the way), and i'm starting a phd program where gender and sexuality are pretty commonly studied.
a lot of questions about whether it's okay to come out or not really depend on your sense of the school climate. i agree that carrying the burden of the closet is one that can be incredibly stressful, so really do your homework about this one. look through the student list and see if there's anyone explicitly studying queer issues, and maybe email them. if you have a decent relationship with the grad director, maybe reach out to them. i did that when i was first admitted and they kindly connected me with queer resources on campus as well as a student or two that is actively involved in the community.
if you're having trouble with finding all this info, you can PM me with info about the exact school you're going to and i might be able to see if i can look up school climate information or even local info about queer resources. it's a tough decision, but it sounds like you're working through it.
Thanks for the advice. It does help put me at ease. The reason why I asked is because I'm transferring into a phd program from another. I was the only gay person in the department and the only one that was doing work on sexuality (there are others that are doing sexuality, but is predominately about heterosexuality), and it felt weird talking about my project. I'm now going to a bigger mid-western city and hopefully it would be better.
shoorveer123 reacted to Tritonetelephone in Coming Out Gay