October 11th is internationally recognized as National Coming Out Day. And in commemoration, I’m coming out as bisexual (in theory) and asexual in (practice). Ha ha.
Coming out is not a single event; it is instead a constant process. Here are just two coming outs of mine: Four years ago today, I came out to a straight LDS friend with a confession of my feelings for him. And more recently, I came out on this blog “as a proud member and supporter of the LGBT community.”
For me, the hardest person to come out to was myself. I was in denial about my sexuality for years as a Mormon. I joke that my parents knew I was bisexual long before I did (the internet history probably tipped them off). I didn’t really come to terms with my orientation until my junior or senior year of high school, around the time when I left the LDS Church.
If you’re LGBT and you haven’t come out yet, I’d encourage you to. It’s liberating, and there’s no better form of LGBT activism. And if you’re already open about your sexuality, please share your coming out stories in the comments.
I came out as an ally by changing my profile picture on facebook: http://www.scribd.com/doc/38837572/COUNTMEOUT-2010
Some of my facebook friends are mormons or ex-mormon evangelical christians – it’s a struggle to maintain any relationship with them.
I can’t believe it’s been like six years for me now.
Lets see I came out to my parents and a few close friends my senior year at high school. Didn’t really come to terms with my orientation (gay) until probably my junior year but who knows how long I had actually been checking out guys.
You can breathe easier, stand up against incidents of ignorance or bigotry and help educate those around you without ever worrying about the wrong person finding out which team you play for.
Don’t expect to keep all of your friends or for it to help your relationship with your family. At the time when I came out both my family as well as my circle of friends were almost exclusively conservative and LDS. My sister and I couldn’t be closer and I made new friends.
Remember be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.