When is the right time to "Come Out"?

I have to admit that I am fierce advocate of coming out. I view the 'coming out' process as a powerful instrument for social and political change. However, 'coming out' cannot be done irrationally or with haste. To have an ideal coming out process a gay agent must act in his own self-interest and have a rational basis for coming out. This means that the benefits of coming out must equal the costs of coming out.

Parenthetically, if the benefits exceed the costs, you can only benefit not lose from coming out. then by all means be as flamboyant as you can and maybe wear some drag to work. Have fun!

However, if the costs exceed the benefits of coming out, then it would be irrational to come out. MV Lee Badgett, professor of economics at UMASS, posits the costs of coming out are income losses resulting from workplace discrimination and subsequently termination. Additional costs that she does not consider are alienation from the family, which can have adverse financial implications. For example, parents that do not accept their son's homosexuality might divest from or refuse him his endowment (ie. 'trust fund', college allowances, etc). This can lead to lower aggregate consumption and less leisure time to enjoy over the gay son's lifetime.

And think of the 'benefits' of coming out, although amorphous, as better self-confidence and its psychological ilk.

So, while I encourage you to come out, you can not let any other person decide for you when it is the proper time to do so. Only you can do it when it fits bests with your self-interest and you think rationally about the consequences of doing it.