i love that people are posting on this thread. i hope these stories inspire newcomers to come out of the closet! so many of the stories on EC have already inspired me!
The first person I came out to was a (gay) guy at a conference 3,000km away from home, who I had met less than 48 hours before. The conversation took place in the downstairs hallway at a church, at about 1am. He wasn't very shocked (it was actually a GLBT support conference for an organization I'm involved with), but after I told him was (and still is) very supportive, and one of my best friends. Me - ....because I'm gay. Him - Mmhmm. Me - I've never told anyone that before. Him - What!?! SO FUNNY.
The very first peron i told was my therapist. Obviosly she was fine with it. The actual first person i told was a friend who i knew was leaving for Singapore the next day. It was quite cowardly cos i knew i wouldnt see her again and so if she reacted badly it wouldnt be so bad. But then a few weeks later i told a close friend and she was sooooo supportive. i came out to two other friends that week as well. Everyone ive told has been fantastic.
my best friend kortnei m........we were on a bus and we were messing around and we got talking about it being bi or no bc we were really close.....but long story short i told her that i wouldnt be a bad thing to be bi bc i was.....
I'm only out to a few people and so far they've been old friends, people who I trust completely but never really see anymore. It was a good way to start I think because it allowed me to test the waters a little and to make it a little more real while at the same time I never really see these people anymore so coming out to them didn't affect my day-to-day life in any way. Some days I'm tempted just to post it on Facebook and get it all over with like a band-aid, in one motion.
One of my best friends, Sarah. I told her over myspace because I just wanted to tell SOMEONE! She was surprised but cool with it at the same time. Well, not exactly an exciting-awe inspiring story, but still, it's a story.
To my dorm roommate freshman year at college. I shared it with him in one of our typical talking in the dark conversations after we both went to bed. I was actually still a bit confused at the time, but he was always a good listener and I trusted him completely
I told a gay friend from high school. I was in college, he was still a senior in high school, and I told him over Facebook. I was really scared and told him not to tell anybody, if my parents found out then blah blah blah. His response was like "Oh my gosh Markio for reals? Thank you so much for letting me be the first one to find out! You should consider coming out to this person, she'd be accepting!" He was right, too.
I told the group leader of a mission project I was (and still am) involved with. It wasn't really planned, the stars just aligned and I had the right moment so I seized it. http://www.emptyclosets.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13632 In retrospect, I'm really glad the first person I told was an adult that I knew well and trusted. I'm not sure it would have been quite as positive if I'd told a fellow teenager first, even one that I trusted/ was accepting, but that's just me.
I've had some fun with the coming out. Freshman year I came out as a lesbian (wrong. totally wrong...) Friend of mine was coming to a GSA meeting (our highschool is messed up, and the freshmen are in a different building), and made the comment to a slightly homophobic mutual friend "yknow not everyone who's in GSA is gay. I'm straight, (girlname)'s straight" To this I gave her an evil glare and pointed out that it's a really bad idea to assume. We're still friends though. That was in interesting afternoon though. Came out as transsexual to a (different) friend last month: That, was interesting. I asked her what would be something that would "shock her" The response was "Well I'd be surprised if you got a sex change at your age" Smoothest. Coming out. Ever. Along with a few things I've said to jerks who either think I'm bi, or are so oblivious to realize that I'd much rather not be with another guy...Some of the priceless looks.
the first person i officially came out to was my best friend, and she was cool with it seeing as her brother is gay too. When i came out to the parents, well, dad just asked me cos he found a copy of diva on my bed [i had been leaving hints for ages]. He was fine with it, my sister was also fine, but my mum...well, she baked a cake. Bad times. Not saying that the cake wasnt yummy, my god it was, but it seemed she was so upset/ angry she focused all her energies into baking. Was f*cking good cake though.
The first person I told is still the only person I’ve told (except my therapist of course) and that is my son. He’s 2 so he really didn’t have a reaction at all. He gives me lots of hugs and kisses so I don’t think he minds either way.:icon_bigg I’m looking to tell someone older in the near future, I doubt there will be hugs and kisses, but hopefully there will be acceptance.
My friend Gabriel. Me and him were texting one night and... Me: Well I was talking to my friend and she said it sounded like I like you... G: Do you? Me: Sort of kinda a little bit... why is it obvious? G: No, its actually a big suprise to me. But I've been keeping a secret from you too... Me: What is it? G: Don't get mad. Me: I won't, promise. G: I'm gay. Me: Okies. ^_^ --next day-- Me: Sooooo how exactly do you knoww? [note, at this time I was still unsure.] G: Well how do you know that you're straight? Me: ...What if I'm not sure if I amm...? G: Are you? Me: I'm bi. yayy. That was in October of 09, so its been almost six months. Six months on April 5th.
