Some face-to-face groups of CD's and transgendered including those groups which also allow TS members in addition to their core of CD's seem to have a policy orientation tolerant of or prone to accidental outing of members, a sort of underlying thinking that is not always obvious, and definitely not advertised up front. It may not be obvious at first that preventing partial outing of members is a low priority to be careful to avoid, but more worrisome is the way a group's methods and philosophy is to some degree, inclusive of and having a positive opinion towards encouraging members to out themselves, and such public outing of members may be implicit in the way they operate. Some members will naturally be more extroverted than others, and want to be out there Others not so much, and some introverts horrified at the prospect.
One thing that can be a clue, is that the group's websites post photos on the Internet, either open to viewing by the general public or to members easily admitted without virtually any screening. It is not obvious if these photos are only taken at club events of those who are willing to be in them, and a certain number of members are carefully excluded from them. How effective this is, is another thing. Computer experts and commentators on modern technology and society often say, privacy no longer exists in today's world.
Then there is the way some Internet sites are open to anyone who can Google your image, even if it is not associated with a name, (though that happens too), and connect you to membership in a CD group. Sometimes even Googling your name can out you, due to a subtle software glitch that nobody may notice or complain about for some time, if ever.
The feelings on being outed of some members in deep stealth can run so high, that law suits for outing them are threatened seriously, of other members. Another problem is someone who simply outs you, partially, at another public affair than a CD support group meeting, or makes you very uneasy about that inevitably following if you continue going there. Many, carried away with their enthusiasm for their membership in a group, may not preserve any social borders, and talk to you about CD matters in public, making you at the very least, uncomfortable.
What has your experience of local support groups been? Would you advise anyone in deep stealth joining a local support group at all?
