Coming Out Stories

26

I am only in high school, but coming out has been the best expierence of my life so far. The first person i ever came out to was one of my friends in middle school, and gradually i began telling more people as i grew older. Luckily i grew up in a very liberal community and even my high school has plenty of openly gay students who face little to no hate on campus. I knew my friends and family would still love me unconditionally despite my sexuality, so at age 16 i decided to come out to the world. Coming out for me was very casual but it was still much more emotional than i expected. The amount of support that my friends and family showed me was the best thing in the world. I felt one hundred times more comfortable with myself and i couldnt love my life any more.

Life after coming out is amazing. At first it is nerve racking to know that the world knows your biggest secret, but eventually i began to feel silly for trying to hide something that i should never feel ashamed of. I felt lonely at times because i didnt know of any other lgbt kids at school, but eventually some lgbt kids starting talking me after learning that i too was gay. Coming out has only brought positivity into my life, and i have been lucky enough to meet some truly amazing people. Yes, you will run into some conflict at times, but you never know who you will inspire or give the confidence needed to come out. Its comforting to know that you are never alone.