When I came out I was 25 years old and had just broke up with what was to be my last boyfriend (I tried so hard to be straight for so long). I had just felt so unhappy that one day I had a conversation with myself: “You’re not happy and you could be. I’m gay.” A week later I came out to friends and family and haven’t looked back. (F/30/Gay/lesbian)
Story #2300
When I came out I was ashamed of who I was. I’d switched from demigirl, to agender, and then finally to demiboy. It was a process of letting go of the femininity I despised in myself and accepting the masculinity. I didn’t want to admit that I was partially male, because I didn’t even like men. I realized it was just an internalized hatred and accepted myself. I have been happier ever since. (Demiboy/15/Gay)
Story #2299
When I came out to my mom, she said she accepted me, but kept misgendering me. I remember telling her I wanted to change my name, and she got really mad. Recently I talked to her about constantly misgendering me, and she said that I was “too young to know”, which is stupid. When I came out to my dad, he said I didn’t “act like a boy”, and wouldn’t refer to me as one. I’m lucky to have friends, an aunt and a few cousins that accept me. (Transmasculine/13/Gay)
Story #2293
When I came out, it was at a Halsey concert in 2018. I was with my twin brother and his girlfriend. She said to yell if you were lgbtq+, and I yelled. My brother and his girlfriend were SHOCKED. They asked me what I was and I said I was gay. The first thing my brother said was “omg this all makes sense now, I’ve always wanted a gay bro”. On the other hand, his girlfriend won’t talk to me any more. (M/19/Gay as hell)
Story #2276
When I came out as gay, my mom gasped (it was over the phone) and dismissed it. When I halfway came out as trans, my mom and grandma degraded queer people in an attempt to change my mind. I have been told that my brother and sister (among other people) are not allowed to know. My mother told me today that my brother and sister are not allowed to listen to Lil Nas X or Jojo Siwa because he (Lil Nas X) is gay and she (Jojo Siwa) is pansexual, and my poor sister loved Jojo Siwa. My friends are super supportive, and save me every day from a world of sadness, but it hurts that my friends accept me more than my own mother, and I’m sorry for anyone who is in this situation or worse. (F/15/Gay/trans)
Story #2265
When I came out to my mom as transgender ftm she said she accepted me, but she then had a breakdown and told me it’s for attention and that she and my dad won’t let me start hormones or blockers and that they won’t use my preferred name or pronoun. The rest of my family still calls me by my deadname and she/her. It’s hard and I struggle with it every day and am currently looking for a way to leave. I promise you’ll get through everything. Just stay strong; you’re loved and special and deserve the world. (FTM/15/Gay)
Story #2263
When I came out, my parents and family didn’t accept me for who I was. They said I wasn’t worth living and an ungrateful piece of s**t. I didn’t care what they said. Even though what they told me hurt, I still loved my parents. And I still didn’t care; I love myself and they have to respect my decision. (M/13/Gay/bi)
Story #2248
When I came out it was first to two of my close friends, one of which is non-binary. They both mainly took the news well, and didn’t tell anyone like I asked them but I think one of them feels a bit uncomfortable speaking about sexuality. After that I came out to a girl in my class that I knew would be supportive, over text (like an hour ago). She was really lovely about it and told me that she’d support me. I haven’t told anyone else yet, including my parents and my best friend, because I’m not sure how my parents will react. (F/Gay)
Story #2246
When I came out, I was seriously considering my gender identity for the first time, and decided I’d ask a cousin for advice. She said to “Go for it!” and then I went and wrote an entire page about my experiences questioning my gender and sent it to my discord (ThatOneAwkwardSnake#1093) and was met with tons of support from all my best friends, irl and out. Still haven’t come out to anyone else and the cousin I came out to first still thinks of me as “lesbian” which makes me uncomfy as it has a feminine connotation, and even though I’ve told her I prefer gay, she still uses lesbian. I don’t know if she understands non-binary. (Non-binary/11/Gay/trans FtNB)
Story #2241
When I came out to my older brother, he thought I was joking at first: he said I was too picky when it came to guys, and asked me what my type was, and I said, “Women.” He hugged me after and told me he accepted me and would keep my secret… and then started joking about it in front of my mom and making references to lesbian sex whenever he talked about me. I told him that I’d just been confused a couple months later. Sometimes, it’s just not the right time, and that’s ok. (Nonbinary/21/Gay/genderqueer/transgender)