When I came out, I first told my sister, brother, and a few friends that I was gay, and even though it was very obvious they would be accepting, coming out to my parents was the hardest part. It was 11 o’clock at night and I had a track meet the next day, but I was watching my dad working and knew that I should tell him then, no matter how long the conversation would be. When I walked over and told him, he looked very surprised for a few seconds and then he immediately got up and hugged me, telling me he loved me while I was crying from how relieved I was. Then he woke up my mom and all three of us were in my room talking about how I could be anything I wanted to be in life and that sexuality is an important, but small part of you, that does not define what kind of person you are. Ever since that night, three days ago, I have been way happier about myself, even if I haven’t completely come out yet, but I plan to soon! (F/16/Gay)
Story #1781
When I came out it was simply me deciding that I had dropped so many hints and that if it was not obvious enough at this point, I may as well just put it out there. I told all of my closest friends and got a great amount of support. My mom opened my phone to see messages between my friend and me after I came out, and that’s when I had to tell my parents that I was bi. The first response: “So you like girls now?” smh. It’s not like I’ve felt this way for years, nooo! (F/16/Bi)
Story #1780
When I came out, first I thought I was bisexual. But with growing crushes on girls, no longer boys, it was apparent that I was lesbian. During a program, we played a game where we put anonymous slips of paper into a box responding to the prompt: “If people really knew me, they would know…” I put: If people really knew me, they would know that I’m lesbian and scared to come out. Ever since, people have tried to guess who it was, but no one except my very close friends knows that the anonymous gay is me 🙂 (F/13/Lesbian)
Story #1779
When I came out it wasn’t planned. My parents always go through my phone and came across a couple google searches that I searched about coming out stories and how to figure out sexuality. For the most part they accept me but my father is angry at me for not telling him. (F/14/Bisexual)
Story #1778
When I came out I was 12. I told my good friend that kinda guessed I was bi, then my other good friends. They all accept me. One of the people I told I am no longer friends with, but she still keeps it a secret. I told a total of five people and I am too scared to tell my family because I know that my uncle and my grandmother do not like gay people. (F/13/Bi)
Story #1777
When I came out, it was to my best friend of 15 years. Yet he still acts like nothing ever happened. That was two years ago. He is the only one I’ve ever trusted. Not even my own family. It hurts, and every day, it is a struggle. But when I read your stories in here, it gives me hope that maybe one day, things might change. Thank you for this. Stay strong. Love you guys. (M/26/Gay)
Story #1776
When I came out, I felt terribly sad. I had broken up with my boyfriend. I was so desperate that I needed to tell someone. So I told my closest friends, one by one, that I had fallen in love with a boy who, now, had decided to abandon me. That was the first step in a never-ending process of coming out (at work, with your family, with new friends, neighbours…). (M/45/Gay)
Story #1775
When I came out I was 14; it was last year. I’ve known that I was gay ever since I was like 7 years old but I have been so ashamed of it so I never told anyone, until July last year. My best friend and I sat on the beach and talked about this boy she had a huge crush on, then she asked me, “How come you’ve never been in love with a boy?” And I looked at her and she understood it the second she said it; I think it all suddenly made sense in her head. It was like a huge relief because after that we just talked about for two hours and finally I could let it all out, the things that I’ve had inside of me for so many years. The same night I told my family and my mom had kind a hard time to accept it but today everyone in my family is supportive. (F/15/Homosexual)
Story #1774
When I came out, I told my best friends. I went straight to the point and told them I was bi. I already knew two of my best friends were bi, and they were very supportive. I would also drop hints to some of my classmates; I’m pretty sure they know I’m bi but they try to act stupid. Ever since my friends and I came out, it seems like everyone in our school started coming out. Some people would say we’re disgusting, but we ignore them. LGBTQ+ or not we’re still humans, right? (F/12/Bi)
Story #1773
When I came out I was 19, and even 3 years later it’s not something I openly talk about. I was drunk and out partying with some mates. One of them said, “That’s so gay” about something, and without missing a beat I just shouted, “Same!” They just laughed and said OK cool. I kept it to myself for about three weeks and then told my family over the phone. I told my mother and her response was “Oh! OK, don’t tell your father just yet, he’s had a car accident, that’s why I phoned.” (It wasn’t serious but no one knew that at the time.) Fast forward 3 years and my family accept me and joke about it, but I lived in a country where being LGBT was a prisonable offence so I never really talk about it. (M/22/Gay)