"In the Closet" (Dans le placard): Definition, Experience, and Impact
Definition : Being "in the closet" means living behind a mask. For a trans person, it means continuing, day after day, to play the role of the gender assigned at birth.
- Keywords
- In the closet, closeted, LGBTQIA+, transgender, identity, secret, conformity, fear, judgment, rejection, violence
- Topics
- LGBTQ+ Terminology and Concepts
- Updated
What does “In the closet” mean?
Being “in the closet” means living behind a mask. For a trans person, it means continuing, day after day, to play the role of the gender assigned at birth. It’s a state of unspoken truth, a constant performance where every word, every gesture, every piece of clothing is calculated not to betray who you truly are inside. It’s the silence before speaking out, a period of gestation, fear, or simple survival while waiting for the right conditions to emerge.
Who is affected by the expression “In the closet”?
This expression, “in the closet” (or “dans le placard” in French), does not only belong to trans people. It is a term shared by the entire LGBTQIA+ community. It describes this common experience of having to hide a fundamental part of oneself to conform to the expectations of a predominantly heterosexual and cisgender society. It is an invisible prison whose door is only closed by the fear of judgment, rejection, and violence.