So, I’m currently a junior in high school, and I’ve known that I was gay for a while, since 7th grade. I’ve started to tell my family and I few friends, and I feel ready to tell everyone and live my life as who I am. The problem is, i don’t know the best way to do it. Whenever someone asks if I’m gay I just say yes, but that’s doesn’t let everyone know. If anyone has an idea on how to let everyone know please tell me. I’m tired of hiding.
Hi, and welcome to EC! Nice to see new folks here, and I hope you'll stick around! To answer your question... well... -- If you tell a couple people in your school, you can be reasonably certain that the entire school will know within a day. For whatever reason, someone being gay tends to be a gossip thing that spreads pretty quickly. -- For your parents, if you're having trouble screwing up the courage, sending a text or email, or leaving a note can be a pretty painless way to start the conversation. I know of one person who actually left a post-it on the refrigerator that said "Gone out to play basketball. Back at 6pm. PS: I'm gay." And that was it... The point is, don't stress on how to say it, just get it out there. And in the case of family, you can just sort of ask them to pass the word along. I suppose you could also be obvious by getting an "I'm not gay, but my boyfriend is" t-shirt or something like that that mixes humor with seriousness. And I think that once you start telling more people, you'll find it gets easier with each one.
Thank you, I have already told my, parents and I’m just ready to come out, and I will try the methods you shared. Some of my friends at school know but they don’t share it. I will probably get that shirt though
One possibility would be wearing some pride things, such as a rainbow wristband, that's always good. But my best advice, is just be yourself. If being yourself expresses the fact that you are gay, then great! If not, no big deal. Just don't hide the fact that you are gay.
Personally I never fully came out to anyone as in I went up to them and in some shape or fashion told them I’m gay. For my parents, I just brought my then-bf home for dinner and introduced him as hey guys this is my bf blank. My high school pretty much found out my freshman year because I was making out with a dude from the other high schools band and it got around school quickly but it wasn’t a big deal. Even now at the high school I teach at, student’s/staff will sometimes ask me if I’m gay and it’s usually just yup or yeah. I bring my fiancé to events and stuff all the time — he usually goes to our football games on Friday nights (he’s my emergency band trailer hauler).
The first times I came out I did it over text. It was what worked the best for me. Now, it got easier and whenever I need to come out again, I just casually mention my gf.
