When I came out to my parents they reacted horribly. They are muslim, religious, and severely hostile against transgender people. They lectured me for 40 minutes why I would be “outed” and “shamed from society. I’m also bullied at school. I had to delete my tiktok account because of them! (MTF/trans girl/Straight/heterosexual)
Story #2764
When I came out, I was really worried about my parents’ reactions at first, thinking, “I know they support the lgbtq community, but it might be different because I’m their daughter.” I was really surprised when my mom’s reaction was basically to say she already knew, and to ask if I had a crush on someone. Actually, until I was twelve, I was pretty much the only member of my family who hadn’t guessed. To all other teens/kids who want to come out, it’s scary, but it’s worth it, and who knows? Maybe your family will react better than expected. (F/14/Lesbian)
Story #2761
When I came out I thought it would be the hardest conversation that I ever had to have, but it wasn’t. We were in the kitchen doing dishes after dinner. I told my step mom and then my dad a few minutes later, and they weren’t excited but they also weren’t mad. My father said he just wanted me to have an easy life, without making it harder for myself (“it’s a hard row to hoe.”) I said it’d only be harder if I had to hide who I was and he nodded that he understood. We didn’t talk about it much after that until I got my first girlfriend — and then it was just “keep your bedroom door open.” Turns out, coming out in everyday life — at the grocery store when someone asks about my husband, at the doctor when the assume because I’m sexually active there is a penis involved — those are the hard conversations! (F/45/Lesbian)
Story #2759
When I came out to my best friend as bi (2 years ago), I don’t think she understood. It was brief, something like this:
Me- Hey, I think I’m bi.
Her- Ok cool. I think I am too.
I re-came out to her this summer, on our friendiversary. I wrote this long letter about our friendship and randomly in the middle of the letter I was like ” I don’t know if you understood this when I told you last, but I’m…. meaning bisexual.” Then I was like that means I like girls and boys (I have a massive crush on her but I think she’s like super straight so…). She was super cool about it and she still loves me. It feels so good to be myself and be able to say stuff like “There’s my gay side”. My parents caught me reading a sapphic romance novel and they were also super supportive, being in a family that actively supports LGBTQ+ people. It was super awkward and I still haven’t fully come out to them yet but hopefully soon. I guess this shows what love is. (F/13/Bi/queer)
Story #2756
When I came out, I was 12 years old and I was with a straight friend at a sleepover. She started talking about her female friend who had a crush on her, and I obviously looked uncomfortable (I was HEAVILY closeted). She asked if I was queer, and I replied with a very unconvincing ‘No!?’. She saw right through me and told me she wouldn’t tell anyone. I finally admitted I was gay. Then I barely slept the whole night and wished I was back in the closet. I still haven’t come out, and I don’t see my friend all that much. She moved away, and hasn’t told anyone ever. I go to a school where queer kids don’t get beat up, but they get excluded and people are weird to them. I’m planning to come out when I’m 16. (F/14/Lesbian)
Story #2754
When I came out towards the tail end of sixth grade, I had just realized I liked girls after kissing my (now former) best friend at a slumber party a few weeks back under the guise of “we need to practice for our future boyfriends” (cliche, I know) and I was about to take a shower, but then I realized, “Hey, I want to come out to my mom.” I felt really indecisive for, like, a half an hour, though, and just kinda cried in the bathroom for a little bit, but then eventually went downstairs and told her. She was really supportive. Then a few weeks later, I was talking about how I thought Renee Rapp was really pretty… cuz she is, and my mom asked if I had a crush on her. I said yes, and my dad was really confused, and I realized I forgot to tell him, so I just said, “Yeah, dad, I’m bisexual.” He was fine with it, too 🙂 (F/14/Bi)
Story #2749
When I came out, my mom found love letters beneath my bed and inside of a heart-shaped box. They were from a woman and she confronted me. She kicked me out and the woman picked me up the next day and I left. I like to think I made it easier for my little brother. She learned to accept him, and later me. I wish I had more space to tell my story, but that’s the gist. (F/45/Pan)
Story #2746
When I came out to my parents this year, I was scared that they would not love me anymore. I have known that I was not interested in guys. I wanted to be free and my true self. My mom said that she knew. All my friends I told were happy for me and said I thought you were. Some said they knew. They said that they wish I came out sooner. I was not sure what I wanted. I wanted people to love me for me. (F/39/Lesbian)
Story #2745
When I came out in like 5th grade, I was reading The Sun and the Star, and I asked my mom what “bisexual” meant, and she said it meant you like both boys and girls. I said, “That sounds like me.” (I’ve always known I like girls, and kinda thought it was normal?) And since then, I’ve realized queer/sapphic most align with my orientation (subject to change). (F/questioning/13/Queer/sapphic)
Story #2744
When I came out to my parents, I was 13 and working on a project with my friend (who is also queer) that was about the LGBTQ+ community. Her mom was asking questions about it, and she was freaking out because like the wonderful person she is, she didn’t want to out me to her mom if I wasn’t ready, so she was frantically calling me. When I called her back, I was in the car with my mom and I decided to explain to her after I hung up what the call was about, and she was cool with it, if not a little surprised. That night, we went out to ice cream and I just walked up to my dad in the crowded shop and said, “Hey dad, I’m gay.” With my friends, it was really easy to come out because most of them are queer or allies and they are really good at accepting me for who I am. (F/Lesbian)