Coming Out

Even the dreaded two words 'coming out' are enough to scare even the gayest of gays to curl up and pretend to be a heterosexual. 
I remember when I came out, as most gay people do, it was terrifying - I told my friends first, over MSN, they were okay with it, luckily. Then my year group found out, I was in Year 10, and suddenly my sexuality because the gossip, the news, the "Have you heard?" topic. My Mum reacted amazingly well to my news, I told her via letter (the coward's way 'out'). 
I put this letter under her bed and went up to my Dad's to stay the night with my brother, as we did most Saturdays. The next day we went to the beach, and Mum didn't mention my letter straight away, so I was procrastinating if she got it or not, what did she think? Then she turned to me when we were lying on the towels with the August sun beating down on us and said "I got your letter!"
I burst into tears; I don't know why, it was all the emotions flying around my heart and head. She said the usual "I will love you no matter what" - which I was ecstatic to hear, and then she asked how long had I known, was it a phase, who had I told, how did I know.
I told my Dad that October (2009). Sadly he didn't react half as well, he refused to believe his daughter was a lesbian, he has just about got to terms with it now, but I know he isn't happy about it. Now everyone knows, I don't hide the fact I'm gay, on my Facebook it is pretty obvious - it says interested in women for a start, I have all these LGBT photos, quotes, pages, groups etc. It's always hard when you meet new people because you have to come out all over again. When I started college in 2011 I didn't know whether to be really open about my sexuality or to not tell anyone. In the end I didn't advertise it, nor did I hide it, if the subject came up I slipped it in there.

A few ways I told people:

My counsellor: Me: "Someone put on Facebook that I was gay". (Someone actually did this which was a pretty bastardly thing to do).
Counsellor: "Are you gay?" Me: "Yes".
My friend:
Me: "It's not that I don't want to tell you who it is I like, it's just it's their gender".
A girl in one of my classes:
Me: "I'm gay", yes it was that simple.

A few tips for coming out:

• Make sure you are 100% sure of your sexuality before you tell people. If you're kind of sure you're a lesbian but also think you might actually be bisexual wait until you know for sure.
• Don't expect the person you tell to react well immediately. Although this is horrible, it is often the case. Your parents, for example, may cry to begin with and mourn the marriage and children they want you to have but after a while they might be absolutely fine with it. Also - just because you are gay doesn't mean you can't get married and have children. It will just be slightly different.
• Pick a good time. Not in the middle of an argument/driving/a funeral (although no-one sane would choose a funeral to come out at). Good times include: family meal, family occasions such as birthdays and Christmas and holidays.

When Sally Met Sally published this post on their website on 20th May 2013.