When I came out to my new school as a lad, they were fine with it and they even offered me if i can change my name on the school’s system and I can’t believe it! It just feels so natural to be called by my chosen name on the roll and peers calling me by it 🙂 (Trans/14/Asexual)
Story #2630
When I came out, I was in 6th grade and at the time thought I was aroace. My friends were playing a game of “Skeleton in Your Closet” (which is where everyone says a deep secret) and I randomly decided, on a whim, to come out to them. But just as I went to whisper “I’m aroace”, something inside me made me say “I’m a lesbian” instead. Well, a year later, it turns out that I actually am a lesbian after all! My friends were so accepting and it turned out most of them are queer as well. I’m holding off on coming out to my family because they say they are accepting but I don’t feel ready. Sending good wishes to all the queer people who are about to come out!!! (F/13/Lesbian)
Story #2629
When I came out, it was only to my parents, since two kids at school were getting bullied for being lesbian and the principal was against the LGBTQ+ community. Since coming out as pansexual and nonbinary, I’ve been trying to find ways to tell my long-distance friend in North Carolina and ways to tell my two closest friends via letters once I move. Downstate instead of in the UP, I hope to find support in my new middle school and to be celebrated. There are still going to be hurdles, but I can face them better knowing that my parents have my back always. (Nonbinary/agender/11/Pansexual)
Story #2628
When I came out, it was 6th grade and I was always called gay and zesty for the way I acted and sounded and for the things I did because it was middle school after all. I wanted to fit in and be straight but I knew I had lots of attraction to guys and no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t be truly straight. Me and my best friend talked about our opinions on relationships with girls, understanding gay, and even acted and joked about being gay for fun. We stopped this for a couple months because we didn’t actually want to be gay but to my surprise, one day in March, after he was acting weird for the whole day, told me he was bisexual. Hearing him come out to me gave me the courage to realize I was bi too and we are both coming out to the rest of the world now. 💖💜💙 (M/12/Gay/bisexual)
Story #2627
When I first came out I had already created many scenarios of how I could do it. But my mother and father noticed that I had been overwhelmed for some months (I was a sixth grader). I told them I didn’t really understand if I could really label my gender identity because it kept unstable. But they were quite accepting. As for sexuality I only came out at 17. I had hinted to them many times before through jokes and would make it quite obvious for my sister so she could also help me. The Aroace part wasn’t as good as I would like to be but with time they stopped. I had told to my closest friends as they were some type of gay magnet; as a result my friends were usually queer weirdos so it turned out better. (Genderfluid/23/Aroace)
Story #2626
When I came out, my mom didn’t really care, she just wants me to be me. I haven’t come out to my dad or his side of the family yet, because they’re super homophobic and transphobic. As soon as I can live on my own, I will tell him. (Agender/demigirl/13/Bisexual)
Story #2625
When I came out I was in the sixth grade. I told my mom and she was incredibly supportive. I eventually told my friends and they were also very supportive. I haven’t told my dad yet because he is one of those very homophobic macho-type men. I’ll eventually do it though. (M/14/Gay)
Story #2624
When I came out, I wasn’t really accepted at first. My parents weren’t homophobic or anything, but I felt like they didn’t believe me. I had lots of friend groups and I never really felt like they ever really respected me. The first time I really felt seen and accepted, we had just gotten to the second half of the school year and my lunch schedule changed. I saw some kids I thought might be cool to hang out with and asked if I could sit with them. It turned out that one of them was aromantic and the other was genderfluid and omnisexual. At that point I kinda went “me too!”. They were really cool about it and it made me happy that it wasn’t being treated like a phase or something anymore. Since then I’ve had some great support systems, which has really helped me through some stuff. (Genderfluid/pangender/Aegosexual/biromantic)
Story #2623
When I came out my school was very homophobic. I got treated like crap for a long time, and my family refused to say anything about it in my house, but then I found a local GSA and made so many friends who support me unconditionally. Now I have a girlfriend and I am fully out! 😀 (Non-binary/12/Pansexual)
Story #2622
When I came out, I didn’t directly come out to my brother. I had a bisexual flag sticker on my water bottle and he saw it and he said, “I know what that means and if you need anyone to talk to about that stuff I’m here because I didn’t have anyone when I was your age” and we cried for a while and he ended up coming out to my mom as gay later that night so I didn’t feel alone. I love my brother. (F/13)