When I came out, it was a weight lifted off my shoulder and I finally felt liberated. The last couple of years have been a journey of understanding myself and what type of support I want to see for myself in the long term. I have recently begun to acknowledge and come to terms with the fact that I identify my sexuality as fluid in terms of my attractions and interests. I have recently come out to myself as bi and fluid in the last couple of months. I am still learning and finding ways to see what community looks like for me as I re-come out to those close to my friend circle. I am not out with everyone yet as I still understand what this means for me. As I unpack some of the internalized biphobia that I had harbored due to denying part of myself, it has allowed me to explore different parts of my identity. I am just growing into myself and recognizing the importance of unconditional love and healing from past wounds. (M/27/Bisexual/fluid)
Story #2475
When I came out I was looking with my mom at pride flags on the internet when I found a picture with a bisexual flag on it and I said, “That’s my flag.” And then she just said, “Okay, I never knew.” And then we just continued with looking at the flags. I was quite comfortable in that moment because my mom has always been queer positive. She is cis-hetero. I haven’t come out yet to my dad yet. I have come out to one of my pansexual and bigender friend that I have a crush on. She’s very nice. (F/10/Bisexual)
Story #2456
When I came out my friends and I were walking through the halls of our school. I already knew they were both bisexual so I knew I could trust them. They were so supportive about it. I go to church and I have friends at my school that go to the same church so I didn’t want to tell them. One day I was talking with my friends (my church friends were there) and someone brought up the topic about being part of the LGBTQ+ community. One of my friends asked me, “Aren’t you bi?” I panicked because my church friends were there. I said, “Well yeah, but I don’t want my parents to find out.” They were all super supportive about it and I think i might tell my parents. (F/12/Bisexual)
Story #2453
When I came out I didn’t want to. My trusted friend told everyone I was bisexual. I got so mad at her. When I confronted her about it, she said, “I swear on god I didn’t do it.” Then today during class she said, “I’m sorry I put the email out there. I shouldn’t have believed that rumor about you liking my crush” and she wants to be my friend again but I said no. She violated my trust and because of her someone told me I should die. But all of my friends support me.
Story #2448
When I came out I was maybe 11 or 12. I was in the living room with my oldest sibling and my parents. (Both my siblings knew and are also queer.) All I said was “I’m bi.” My mom looked at me and said, “We don’t care who you love” and left. I know she meant that she’s accepting but it still kinda was strange. I had come out to one of my closest friends a few days before and he’s really accepting and is aroace. Most of my friends I never came out came out but I make jokes about how pretty girls are and stuff like that. More recently I thought about my gender and realized I am bigender and use she/him pronouns. All my friends who know were/are really accepting or were just like ‘okay’ (most of my friends are also LGBTQ+ so I expected this). (Bigender/13/Demiromantic/demisexual/bisexual)
Story #2444
When I came out for the first time, I was a sophomore in college. I was really drunk and hadn’t even fully admitted it to myself yet, but it felt so good to have a space where people and didn’t treat me any differently. Now, four years later, I came out to my religious family. My siblings were really supportive, but I think my parents are struggling with it. I can tell they’re trying to understand and love me anyway, but it really hurt me to hear them talk about their beliefs that being gay is “just as bad” as being a thief or an abuser. (F/22/Bisexual)
Story #2443
When I came out it was in the middle of a mental breakdown. My friends and brother had known beforehand, but I was too scared to tell my parents. When I finally did, they accepted me for who I am and understood not to tell my extended family (homophobia). I am coming out to my extended family soon. Wish me luck! (F/Bisexual or lesbian)
Story #2439
When I came out I texted my best friend when I was first questioning, and then followed up a few days later and told them that I definitely am bi. A few months later, I told my parents over text with a bi frog. My brother was at a sleepaway camp; I think he found out when he got his phone back / through my jokes. A few more months after that I realized I am gender fluid and literally chose my name on the walk to school. I told one of my friends who is kinda the center of the friend group and probolby a few others directly but most of them realized through the trickle of info about gender/sexuality. I haven’t come out to my parents as a gender bender yet but I plan to… in the next few years. Kinda scared but it’s fiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnneeeeee. Anyway I think I’m polyamorous and haven’t felt the need to tell people. If it comes up, my friends will learn something new about me. (Genderfluid/gender bender/13/Bisexual and probably polyamorous)
Story #2432
When I came out, I told my friends and parents as soon as I realized, which took me about 3 years to fully understand. I texted my best friend and I asked her, if I’m dreaming about kissing a girl and going out with her, I probably like her, right? She said yes, so I went downstairs and told my parents, who were very accepting (my mom is bi too). There are sometimes people at school who ask if I’m gay, and sometimes I don’t know how to answer, so I stare at them blankly, but I’m working on telling more people, and so far I’ve told several close friends who have all been very supportive. I’m so grateful I am surrounded by such loving people! (F/13/Bisexual)
Story #2410
When I came out, I was back home with my parents for the Christmas break, and we were watching a comedy. At one point I asked, “Would it make a difference if someone I loved was a guy or a girl?” The answer was a simple “of course not.” I thought there would be some sort of euphoria, or pride that I finally had the courage to come out… but it was just… calm. Calm and certainty. This moment of realisation, the knowledge that I could finally be who I truly am, was much more powerful that any other feeling I could experience. Now, armed with this calm, quiet, yet so powerful feeling that I can finally be who I am meant to be, the face looks brighter — next year, and all the years to come. (M/19/Bi)