Let me start off by saying I'm not usually one for the traditions of 'coming out', as I am someone who believes my sexual orientation falls under the category of personal business but to each their own...I recently decided to let a friend of mine (who I may or may not have had or continue to have a small crush on -- we're talking itsy-bitsy-spider-small here ) know about that other part of me and I couldn't so much as look him in the eye when doing this. I actually wrote it down on paper, handed it to him in private, left the room so he could read it, then doubled back to see where our friendship stood. Good news, he was cool with it. He mentioned that he always had a 'feeling' but couldn't tell me what made him question my sexuality in the first place or why he didn't just ask. I originally did it b/c I feel as though if we're friends we should share everything with each other, hopes, dreams, desires, goals, etc. But in order for him to feel like he can open up, I have to do be willing to do the same right? But here's my question, is it always THIS incredibly awkward for everyone? We carried on like nothing happened, but I still felt so odd deep down.
Yeah, it seems like it does get awkward for most people on some level. Mainstream society hasn't been exposed very much to LGBT stuff until recently so people don't quite know how to react to it, making it end up a little awkward at first.
I would imagine it can be awkward, but I also think its not something I have to let the whole world know about as well. I think the only time it wasn't awkward was when I told my therapist lol.
It gets so much easier the more you do it. The first time I came out to someone I was very intoxicated and cried the whole time. The last time I came out was just in casual conversation and really wasn’t awkward for either of us. Good luck and congratulations on coming out!
The first time I came out to friends wasn't awkward, but it sure was when I got caught with a girl a few months later by family... Be careful if you think it'll be a bad situation, I agree that it shouldn't be a big deal as well.
For me coming out to my siblings was super crazy awkward. They were fine with it I was the one that was 'freaked' for a few months afterward. Things fell into place, at a big family gathering, and I realised everything was the same as before. Someone very close to me told me that after that weekend I really started to come out of my shell. So some times things can be incredibly awkward, but usually things are incredibly crazy awkward. It took me a while to get my head around being 'out'. Once I got my head around the fact that everybody that matters still sees me as 'Tom' and not gay Tom life became better.