Hello All.....I've seen alot of posts about first coming out experiences. I thought it might be fun to share coming out experiences that were something extra special. Such as the way they happened, who they were with, etc. Just coming out experiences that were unusual, memorable and perhaps encouraging! I'll kick it off with mine... I was a high school teacher for 41 years. About three years or so after I retired I ran into a former student at a local grocery store. This boy had been in my band classes from sixth grade (about 11 years old) until he graduated (about 18 years old). At the time I had not yet accepted that I was gay. I always knew there was something different about him but it wasn't until I had retired and finally accepted that I was gay that I realized the he was also gay. Several times I had thought about him and wondered if I would ever get the chance to see him and talk to him. Now there he was...right in front of me! I always had a close relationship with my students (my kids) and so we both went in for a hug which was perfectly normal for one of my "kids". And then my mouth took over and left my brain in the dust! I said something on the order of "Wow, so glad to see you, I've wanted to talk to you for a long time". To which he of course replied "Oh, what about?" Yeah, and now what was I going to do? I really was at a loss. I knew what I wanted to say but had never really planned for this even though I had thought about it. Again the mouth..."What do you think about the LGBTQ Community?" What a stupid thing to say! I was seriously embarrassed. He got a really funny look on his face, took a deep breath and said, "I'm part of it." Great, I had just forced someone to come out to me. What an idiot! And now what was I going to say? It was no problem at all as my mouth again took over leaving me total at a loss as I said, "Me Too". I don't know who was more shocked, him or me. But we both burst into tears and grabbed each other in another hug that lasted a while, which must have looked odd to other people in the grocery store! After that we sat down at a table in the deli and talked for quite a while. This was the most unexpected coming out I've ever had and it's a memory that I cherish. .....David
Absolutely beautiful. Melts my heart to read that. Not like yours but after my Mum knew and some online friends, I was asked in an appointment at a organisation if I was part of the Lgbt community. With no hesitation I said yes and then they asked if I was able to say what I identified with and I said bisexual. First time I ever told a stranger that wasn't a therapist, my mum or online friend.
I came out to my supervisor at work. I said word might start getting around that I was showing up to LGBTQ events in the community, and I didn’t want that to come as a surprise. My supervisor then surprised me by enthusiastically saying “I’m bi too!” It was cool. When I later said I wanted to come out to others in the workplace, my supervisor was glad to be there. When I said “I’m not straight”, my supervisor said “Use the word, DecentOne” (in a “you can do it” tone) and that encouraged me to follow up and say “I’m bisexual.” It is nice to have a supportive work code, but even better having a great supervisor. By the way, my coming out at work inspired another coming out by someone else months later. They said my doing it gave them the confidence to do it too. That felt really good!
