What age did you come out?

I was 17, almost 18 when I finally accepted myself. Later on that year, I came out to both my friends and family
Honestly, I don't think anyone can know their sexuality at that early of an age. I don't think you can know until 16 or 17

 

At 40 for the first time to a few friends and my brothers, but still not out to my parents at 41. I've known I was gay for well over 20 years, but basically supressed it for a long time, but finally starting to feel good about myself.

 

@QueerMusketeer LOL the old its just a phase thing, Ive had friends experience this, dont be too hard on her though, its common for parents to think that. It shows she actually cares about you and her concerns are still valid. She will come around in time.

@seeastar give yourself time, youre still a baby, you have plenty of time to be gay and figure this out.

 

I came as trans 3 months ago but i'm out just to 3 friends. I'm planing to tell my mother soon. First i'll talk with my crush, she already knows but we'll talk about it in detail. I'm afab, 15 y o

 

Coming out to myself-64.
Coming out out side of EC- don't know what my age will be when I do.
: )

 

I'm currently 36, and am still not really out to my family, though my close family may have found out recently and/or suspect. I publicly started expressing my sexuality 3 years or so ago, which would be in my early-to-mid 30s.

 

I am hella, beyond bad at responding just as an fyi.

If you ever have a chance, there is a lesbian spoken word poetry named Denice Froham, check her out. She has a poem called "Dear straight people" and there is a line in it where she say "dear straight people you are the reason we are in the closet, you are the reason there even is a closet." When ever I hear that line I remind myself to not live defined by someone else's power. I myself am better off living true to the innate power that is defined to me as a pretty damn awesome person then feeling like an amoeba.

I've fallen on times when I feared the ones I love not loving me back but when I came out, like fully came out, I opened myself up to thousands of people I stayed away from for fear of being outed. I stopped hating people calling me a flirt cuz I ain't gonna be rude when I like what I see. If my sexuality makes anyone uncomfortable so what, it's my sexuality, I am never rude about it, and I'll move on if the feeling ain't mutual.

I'm not the master at this, I've known I was bi (probably more gay) since I was 4 but I didn't come clean till 22. A lot of people still don't believe but the reality of it is I live my own life. I don't care if the close minded people know what I am doing. I live in a way that makes me happy. I got sober after coming out, I haven't had to be inebriated to kiss an individual and I'm far safer in my life in general.

If you gotta live a life behind your mom's back for awhile, I've done it. If someone else outs you, I've had it happen. Since those people were uncomfortable with me I was uncomfortable with myself. So what happened? I found happiness, I found love, and I found myself. I went back to everyone as the person that was 100% there and many loved my happiness more than my alternative way of life. That's how I got my mother to stop giving a shit about my sexuality, I had something to derive from my openness which was happiness.

 

I came out fully back in 2005. All my friends and my immediate family. I didn’t want to at work back then.

While living in South Korea, I couldn’t afford to be out. It’s not accepted or even tolerated there. Some foreign teachers I met, I told. They were my friends. I never told any of the Koreans I worked with.

I don’t think my friends are uncomfortable with it. Probably because they are all female. I am the one who is uncomfortable because I haven’t really had a safe space and now at home, I still don’t.

It’s sad but I have no male or gay friends in my own city. I know of guys… and I have met some, but hardly enough for me to consider them friends when it feels like I have only known them 5 minutes. Thing is, due to be being very socially awkward and also very self-conscious about people knowing I am gay, I don’t mix with others, even at work social events. It’s like it will eventually come up and I will want to run and hide. I do feel that even having a gay friend, not a bf, coming over just for tea would cause war in my house. I definitely feel like a loser at my age.

Making gay friends in my area is hard. If you’re not on an app or online, it’s very difficult. I don’t go to clubs, or bars, prides, festivals… nothing. I don’t plan to. So it narrows the whole thing down. I used to think that friends I had here would know people and I would meet the “old fashioned way”… but my female friends don’t even know other guys… other than straight ones. I have been told to my face too by an ex-acquaintance that I am far to overweight to stand a chance in the LGBT community. He also said that I needn’t bother making friends because everyone knows everyone and it’s chaos….his words.

I’ve been single now 3 years. I have no plans to meet anyone again. I have to endure staying at home. My parents are old now and they have health issues. I can’t let my sister shoulder the burden alone. I know I can move but then what happens to them? My mom’s arthritis gets bad and she drops the kettle of hot water on her? Those are very real situations that can happen… so I put up with the sh*t and only really interact on EC. In reality I am invisible. I don’t even sit with my colleagues anymore in the staff lounge just to be away from questions and the ones who outed me.

Even if I met someone who looks past my weight and the feelings are real, they will never be accepted by my family and I will end up in constant fights which I am too tired to do.

I am glad you can live as your authentic self and I admire your courage to face those people and find your happiness. Hugs.

 

I knew I was bisexual at a young age, probably around 10 honestly, but didn't know what all that meant. Thought nothing of it until I was around 13 and then it became my personal dark secret. Finally recognized to myself around maybe 14. Admitted to close friends at 18. Had first real sexual lesbian encounter at age 21. Came out PUBLICALLY at AGE 39 AND have sworn off all men forever now. Not to say I'm not still "bi" but it doesn't matter anymore. I have made a choice that I will never waiver from (based on life experience). Everyone's story is different. LoL

 

I knew when I was about 10 that I liked girls but thought maybe Bc I had grown up mostly around boys who were looking at girls, so I did too LOL... Knew for sure at 14 when I was turned on my by friends at sleepovers (shamefully lol). My GF says she ALWAYS knew but never thought anything of it (she's a lot younger than me). I now have a 12 year old daughter who has no issues, says she only likes girls, and dresses very much on the boyish side. So I must disagree with you. We DO know at a young age who we are attracted to. Society is who makes us doubt ourselves and put it off until we are older.

 

With much thanks,
We are defined by a world that tries to suppress our truth for fear that it disrupts the illusion of conformity, this illusion has been thrust upon us since birth and there is a social obligation to bend to its will. And those who have had to wait to live their utmost sincere lives, like you, I send love up to the universe for. It takes the most sincere strength to give up parts of ourselves in order to to be the people that we are needed to be. It's only with great love can we stop to take care of others before ourselves. In those moments we hide behind limitations to appease the uproar of individuals who would be against us. I to wore the mask of weight in the belief that it made me less attractive. Though our struggles are different, and our world vastly different, you too are strong. Strong for every day you live, for every dream you close your eyes to. I can only wish that one day your dreams become your days and your night become your security.

 

I tried coming out to my best friend when I was 9, but she didn't understand what I was trying to tell her (I also started puberty at 8). I didn't try telling anyone else until I was 12, and that friend was totally supportive. I knew that I liked girls before I knew there was a word for it and have never really questioned. Probably in the minority, though.

 

I haven't come out to anyone yet, but I will be doing so in a couple of months. I'll still be sixteen when that happens.

 

Thank you for your kind words. I am not sure anymore about dreams. They always get broken so I gave up
I've gotten so used to hiding it's almost natural for me now to speak of a future wife and such. I take my hat off to those who get to live full authentic lives. Many blessings to them.

 

I started coming out to friends around age 15, and I came out to my mom at 18. Haven't come out to the rest of my family yet.

 

In my early 20's - 21 or 22, I think.

 

I came out to my mother, and a couple of friends, as bisexual when I was 10 but I quickly discovered more terms that fit me after that and they fluctuate so much that I haven't had a proper "coming out" since.

 

I'm 19 (soon turning 20) and still in the closet - the conversation's been brought up a couple of times with two of my friends but other than that, totally in the closet

 

I started the process at 15 and am still going. I'm 18 now. Really, I just haven't come out to most of my family yet.