Outing people: good or bad?

'Outrage': Kirby Dick kicks open Washington's closet door
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Is it ever okay to out someone?

The obvious response is: No, never. We as people have individual rights to privacy that extend to everyone; just because you're a politician and have accepted that de facto your life is not as private as it once was does not mean that the de facto situation takes on any sort of de jure facet. You SHOULD expect the same level of privacy that everyone else gets and you SHOULD receive it. Unfortunately you probably won't expect or receive it, but that doesn't mean such deprivatizing of private matters is acceptable.

The more honest one: It's complicated.

You should never out someone for the sake of outing them (in order to, for example, discredit them or shame them). In an ideal world, like I said, everyone has their right to privacy. However, consider this: In court, a witness's own criminal record is inadmissible information, UNLESS THE CONVICTION IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO DISHONESTY (i.e. fraud, perjury, etc.). So you can't bring up a criminal record unless it calls into question the value of the individual's testimony.

If someone's history is seriously relevant to the debate then maybe it is admissible, even if it's related to something usually private (like sexuality or a criminal record). Maybe. I still think it's a douche move--there are legit ways to attack anti-gay legislation that don't amount to ad hominem attacks against politicians, after all--but I suppose if the debate devolves into mudslinging and you don't feel mature enough to rise above it, it's fair ammunition.