When I came out I felt like it was impossible to say the words. I just told my mum that I had to tell her something and then couldn’t get a word out. She eventually said, “Just come out and say it” so I laughed (through my tears) saying that she just made a pun and I let her figure it out on her own. She was accepting and I’m proud of who I am. Every day it gets easier to say those words: I’m gay. (F/16/Lesbian)
Story #2103
When I came out to my mom I was 9, and I thought I was bi. We were driving home from my soccer practice, and it just slipped out. She didn’t really react, but she makes a lot of jokes about it now. About a year later I had yet to crush on a boy, and I realized I was probably lesbian. I never told her that straightforward (haha now I’m doing it too) but I think she gets the memo. Last night though, I woke up from a dream where I came out to everybody I know as pan, and I’m thinking that I might actually be pan and I’ve just never been attracted to anybody but girls. I guess I’m just gonna have to reevaluate myself or something. (F/12/Questioning)
Story #2102
When I came out, my sister found my journal and read it, finding out about my crush and she thought I was gay. Turns out my sister is incredibly homophobic, and I found her diary. All she talked about was boys and how “ewwwww my sister is gay” and it kind of crushed me. But she knows I’m bi now… (F/13/Asexual biromantic)
Story #2101
When I came out, my friends were all really supportive (thankfully). My best friend is straight. I figured out I liked girls when my other friend came out as bi, and I had a crush on her (I still do, ack). My parents don’t know, but I came out to my other friends as asexual but didn’t get a chance to tell them I was also biromantic. The good thing about that is that they won’t nag me about who I like. (F/13/Asexual biromantic)
Story #2100
When I came out to my dad, I was honestly so scared. I have been planning it for months but every time I tried to do it I freaked out. So today I sent him a gif via text of my favorite artist saying “i like women and men” with a little paragraph. He just said: “i don’t mind it, i just want you to be happy” and then he came upstairs a few minutes later and said he already knew it and asked why I didn’t say it in real life. We didn’t hug or anything but I’m so happy it’s positive. (F/15/Bisexual)
Story #2099
When I came out to my friend I was really scared. I had thought he was gay for a long time and I had the biggest crush ever on him. It was in math class and I had used all my persuasion to get the teacher to put me on a table with him. We were having a test and the teacher walked out to get some paper. The whole class started chattering. I looked at him and my eyes met his. It was pretty romantic for a math class lol. I knew it was the moment and I told him how I felt and that I liked him. He immediately replied with “I like you too”. And that was it. That day we walked out of math class with the biggest smiles on our faces. Only he knows that I’m gay and I’m fine with that. (M/13/Gay)
Story #2098
When I came out, I had been questioning for a while. We were playing truth or dare and my friend asked me if I liked boys… when I didn’t respond, she texted me “If it makes you feel better, I’m not exactly straight either so congrats you know something :)” So I told her that I was bi and she accepted me 🙂 (F/Bi)
Story #2097
When I came out to my parents as bi, they weren’t at all happy with it. I knew before then that they had their own opinion on the LGBTQ+ community, and on top if it, are religious. This happened when I was 13, and the backlash hurt so bad emotionally, that I immediately went back into the closet. As a 14-year-old going to be 15 in a few, I learned to definitely be aware of who I come out to first before jumping right in. I identify as Queer/Questioning now. (F/14/Queer)
Story #2096
When I came out I was on a group FaceTime with my boyfriend (also one of my best friends since way before we were going out), one of my other best friends (also a guy), and his now ex-girlfriend who I used to also be pretty good friends with. We were playing truth or dare because we had nothing better to do, and we got in a loop of truths when S (my guy friend) asked J (my boyfriend) if he would ever date a guy. J who is bi and at this time was already out to a lot of his friends replied yes. We then all went around asking each other if we would ever date someone of the same gender. When they got to me I could barely breathe. I said I would and everyone was very accepting. A few weeks later my boyfriend and I were texting and I worked up the courage to tell him that I’m also demisexual and it went very well. (F/14/Bi/demi)
Story #2095
When I came out, it was to five of my friends in the back of a bus after we had been out all day together. I don’t know what led me to do it, I think we were just telling each other secrets or something, you know, as teenage girls do. I basically said that I didn’t mind any gender in a relationship, and that I could be attracted to people of any gender. They weren’t surprised at my confession, and they fully supported and accepted me. That was nearly a year ago now. Since then, three of those five people that I first came out to, are now out of the closet as well (one as gay, two as bisexual). (F/15/Bisexual)