We feel it is important for heterosexual students, as part of their assimilating knowledge about sexual orientation, to comprehend as closely as possible what the coming out experience might be like. Although this letter is never actually sent, it becomes the 'raw data' that the student uses to analyze his/her reaction to the assignment and pertinent issues related to it. For heterosexual students to experience the fears of being identified as gay, an experiential written assignment was created for a Sex, Gender, and Society class in which heterosexual students write a 'coming out' letter to a person of their choice. Such discourses may help heterosexual students intellectually understand the dangers and delights of coming out, but do not enable them to experience related emotions. Specific discourses exist around 'coming out' in gay and lesbian communities.
