When I came out to my aunt, I was terrified. Me, my younger brother, my parents, and my aunt were on a road trip to Miami for my cousin’s wedding. I had my Kindle Fire that my parents let me use for long trips, and I had this little drawing app made for little kids, one of those where the only option for pen color was rainbow. I thought about it for about half an hour, silently weighing my options. Finally, I wrote it out, and tapped her leg. “I need to tell you something,” I wrote. “Don’t react out loud, my parents don’t know. I’m Trans. I just wanted to tell you.” She paused the show she was watching to read. She grabbed her phone, and hopped onto a spam text she got. “That’s nice,” she said. “I support you. Be yourself.” Moral of the story: Be yourself. It can be scary, but it’s worth it. Take small steps, and you don’t have to come out to everyone at the same time. Be you! (Trans Male)
Story #2504
When I came out, it was last year during summer school with a really close friend of mine. At the time I said I liked boy/girls and we had a great discussion and he was very understanding. It was also one my first times crying around another guy. It felt so healing. I had come out to a couple other people who took it well but that experience really gave me some internal confidence at least for a few months until other people around me started to make me feel like I have to go back to hiding myself. But also I don’t feel like I need to have a big coming out session, I just hope I find more people to come out to one on one. (M/17/Gay)
Story #2503
When I came out it was with my sister. She invited me over for dinner. I thought it was just going to be the two of us, but when I got there her friend Paul was there. So the thee of us sat down to eat and Paul sat right next to me. After dinner we had few drinks and I got my sister alone and asked her what was going on. Lori replied with “I thought you might like him.” I was so caught by surprise I said, “Yes, he is cute. And yes, Lori, I am gay.” This was the first time I have ever said this to anyone. Lori laughed and said, “Yes, I know, now go have some fun with him,” and she left us alone. I had a great time that night with Paul and I felt so good finally just being myself and not hiding the fact that I am gay. (M/30/Gay)
Story #2500
When I came out it was as a 57-year-old gay dad. My wife’s reaction was silence, as if to say “I thought so”. Some people did not believe me as it suited them to believe otherwise. Coming out as a gay man with children is more common than you would expect. It was a great relief to escape from the closet and be me — one of the best things I have ever done and have no regrets whatsoever, except that I wish I had done it years ago. (M/60/Homosexual/gay man)
Story #2498
When I came out as trans at 10 years old, my mom told me that I was just depressed. I had recently had an early start to puberty, and my developing chest had inspired a new and profoundly dysphoric discomfort with my body. Because I had never met another trans person, never heard of it being a possibility, I didn’t have the words to fully describe what I was feeling, and as a result I wasn’t able to properly express what I was experiencing. She told me that everyone hates themselves during puberty and it was just a combination of my hormones and my genetic predisposition to mental illness. It would pass, she said. I was wrong, she said. I went back into the closet for another two years, and when I tried to refind my identity I remembered what she said and for a long, long time I was so afraid of being wrong that I refused to admit I was a man. I cycled through a million identities, sets of pronouns, before I finally decided that no one knew me better than me and announced to the world at 16 that I was a man and nothing was going to change that. My mom came around eventually and now I’m 18 and 5 months on hormones. Things got better, but it was hard. (FtM/18)
Story #2496
When I came out, I was probably around 10-13. I first came out as bisexual, which I was wrong, girls suck (not all girls), then came to terms with being transgender at the age of 13, though I had to hide it. Mom found out by looking through my messages. Even now as an FTM she still uses “god sees it as a sin.” I recently came out to most teachers and have a supportive teacher. Some still want to force me in the box/force me to come out in documents. I am proud to say that I’m gay. (Transgender male/17/DemiGay polyamorous)
Story #2494
When my parents found out I was lesbian they freaked out and said they would no longer love me and God would never ever love me again and I was heartbroken. That was last year when I was 12. I’m 13 now and I still think about that, and to this day I still try to end it all but something stops me. I can’t imagine what they would say if I told them I wanted and felt that I’m a boy not a girl, but I can’t bring myself to it. So for now I’m just a disappointment to the family, but if they ever found out I was trans I would be the laughingstock of the family.
Story #2492
When I came out to my boyfriend and my friends, I told my friend on the way back from the ren fair. I told him I am a man and my preferred name and he was happy for me!! :DDDD and Then I told my boyfriend over text that I am a man and he was fine with it cause he’s pansexual. I recently got a binder and I am going to wait to tell my parents :DD (FtM/14/Bisexual)
Story #2488
When I came out I was 16. My family looked like their whole life died in one single moment. I was kicked out of my home and every time I tried to go back my dad will try to shoot me with his gun, which he shoot a bullet through my leg once. But now I’m doing better. I have a lover who is trans male like me and we adopted two lovely kids. (M/22/Trans/pansexual)
Story #2486
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)