Happy Coming Out Day!
Coming Out Day/Gay Pride isn't about flaunting it or rubbing it in anyone's faces, it's a celebration of the breaking of silence that has so long oppressed people of different sexualities.
I came out 3 years ago when I was 16, first to my mother and my close friends. My mother struggled with it for years, especially on the basis of religious issues, but she has really come a long way in accepting my sexuality, and we're still incredibly close. She's still a little squeamish when I introduce her to boys, but...
My sophomore year in high school I arrived at a small-town New England boarding school. No student had ever (ever) come out there or been open about his sexuality, so I decided to change that. That winter, I wrote a letter to the Editor of the newspaper telling my story. By the time I left, other students were beginning to be open about their sexuality and the GSA (gay-straight alliance) had become a strong, supported group on campus.
Starting college, I never hid myself from day one (if the question arised)... the only people I'm afraid to be 'out' to is my boxing team... perhaps mostly because of the nature of the sport and the machoism implied (and yes, the topic comes up in conversation and even in working out with the coach and fellow team mates). But it's generally a great place to be out, I've dated a few nice guys and I'm just having fun in general.
Coming out isn't something you have to do once, it's something you do every day... the world assumes you're heterosexual and always acts surprised if you contradict them.
Coming Out Day/Gay Pride isn't about flaunting it or rubbing it in anyone's faces, it's a celebration of the breaking of silence that has so long oppressed people of different sexualities.
I came out 3 years ago when I was 16, first to my mother and my close friends. My mother struggled with it for years, especially on the basis of religious issues, but she has really come a long way in accepting my sexuality, and we're still incredibly close. She's still a little squeamish when I introduce her to boys, but...
My sophomore year in high school I arrived at a small-town New England boarding school. No student had ever (ever) come out there or been open about his sexuality, so I decided to change that. That winter, I wrote a letter to the Editor of the newspaper telling my story. By the time I left, other students were beginning to be open about their sexuality and the GSA (gay-straight alliance) had become a strong, supported group on campus.
Starting college, I never hid myself from day one (if the question arised)... the only people I'm afraid to be 'out' to is my boxing team... perhaps mostly because of the nature of the sport and the machoism implied (and yes, the topic comes up in conversation and even in working out with the coach and fellow team mates). But it's generally a great place to be out, I've dated a few nice guys and I'm just having fun in general.
Coming out isn't something you have to do once, it's something you do every day... the world assumes you're heterosexual and always acts surprised if you contradict them.