Hey all! I just wanted to share my biggest coming out story thus far with you, in hopes it might give even one person the boost they need to finally get the hell out of the closet. Although I had come out to my freshman year (of college) roommate and some friends I met through her, those other friends were bi and gay respectively, and it's simply never as hard coming out to fellow lgbt+ (in my experience at least), so while it felt nice to have more than one person know, I didn't really feel like I'd accomplished much. Then, a couple days ago, I decided to text my core group of 4 friends and just tell them. I admit that I was being a chicken by sending all this in a text right before I went into work so that I'd have a least a couple hours to let the responses roll in, during which time I could distract myself with work (that particular part of my plan was a little stupid btw. If you learn anything from this story, let it be that if sending that "risky text" is going to make you nervous at work, you might be putting yourself at risk of letting a customer drive away with $73 worth of food without paying, yikes). Anyhow, I had finally decided that there was no point in waiting anymore. I knew my friends would support me, and that if I didn't just send the text right then, I never would. So I did. I told them I was "quite gay," and "thanks for coming to my TEDTalk." My friends were even more amazing than I could've ever dreamed they'd be, and another one of our friends (whose sexuality we'd been speculating for some time now, lol) took the opportunity to come out as well, and the gay-ity was multiplied ten times over. Please, please, please. If you know the reaction will be positive, take the leap and come out. It sucks that even when we know it's safe to do so, that we've been conditioned to fear declaring who we are. Just hit send, or have the talk, or write the letter. Better out than in, as Shrek would say. Since coming out, I've finally felt truly proud of myself, as well as finally feeling like a real person. If being in the closet makes you question every part of who you are, coming out of it makes you feel 100% more alive and sure and again, real. It's like getting a new contact or eyeglass prescription and realizing you missed seeing all the leaves on the trees. It's that good. Just do it.
