We all have closets. What’s in yours?
Awhile back, I wrote about coming out, and the response I received was really encouraging. A lot of people responded with their own coming out stories in the comments. They wrote about coming out about their ADHD, their miscarriages, their divorces: life events, hardships, or facets of their personalities they had previously kept secret. I was reminded that we all have closets, but the more that we can throw those doors open and be our authentic selves, the happier we’ll be.
Other WordPress bloggers have been telling their coming out stories too. Here are five that I enjoyed; click on the titles to read more.
The Day I Held My Boyfriend’s Hand
I held my boyfriend’s hand yesterday. I caught it, as I usually do, on University College Cork campus and held it until we reached the main gates, only this time I didn’t let go. We moved along the Western Road, towards Washington Street, and as we reached the innards of Cork City something strange lingered over me. I had become anxious, and soon I wasn’t speaking. I was afraid.
— Olan Harrington, OlanHarrington.com
For over a year I put my feelings on hold and didn’t think of it. For over a year I denied who I was. For over a year I refused to even talk about homosexuality or bisexuality. For over a year I watched as my sister kissed her girlfriend and thought that that could never be me.
— She Keeps Me Warm, LiveInImaginations
I have always prided myself on the fact that I’m me. I’m Teri, and I’ve always been Teri, and I will always be Teri. It’s just now that Teri wants the facial hair he’s always desired, and to have the muscles he’s always been able to envision.
— Teri Jourdan, Uncloseted
No, I’m not gay. No, I’m not straight. No, I’m not confused. I will probably say “God, I’m so gay” or “God, i’m so straight” at least ten times a week, that does not mean you get to label me as either gay or straight.
What’s Next for Love and Marriage?
The first dozen times I came out I cried. For many of my friends, it was the first time they had seen me cry. Ever. A high school friend once told me that I had two emotions: happy, and more happy. She was wrong. I felt a lot of things, but I had to hide them.
— Chris Damian, Ideas of a University
Bonus: the coming out speech that always makes me cry
Oh, Ellen.
queer girl blogs 