[Sandy]

If a man passes himself off as a San Francisco gay but he is subsequently "outed" on the radio as actually being heterosexual, can he sue and win a big award?

I don't see why not. Just because you might think the exposure would be benign, doesn't mean he would agree. A person's private life is just that--private. I'd sue in a heartbeat if a major secret of mine were broadcast live on the radio the way they did with this guy. How humiliating. This sort of thing is probably excusable when done to a public figure, but not when done to some average joe.

[Reaganghost]

"If a man passes himself off as a San Francisco gay but he is subsequently "outed" on the radio as actually being heterosexual, can he sue and win a big award? I don't see why not."

Are you saying that someone can be sued for reporting the truth? If courts, juries and judges accept this, our system is done for.