Coming Out Day
Everyone has a different experience with coming out. If you’re considering it, there’s no script or steps you need to follow, just listen to your heart.
Don’t pressure yourself, life is already hard enough.
A few things to have in mind:
🌈Do it for yourself, not others. At your own time and on your own terms, there’s no need to rush. There’s no determinate moment in life to come out.
🌈Balance your possible why-not to and why to come out. Making a list of pros and cons can help you make a decision. Here are a few reasons why people decide to come out or choose to wait.
🌈Let go of expectations. Whoever you confide in is responsible for their reaction, not you. There’s no way to know for sure how someone is going to respond until it actually happens.
🌈Know that it is a gradual thing, you don’t need to come out to EVERYONE at once. Start where you feel safe (sometimes friends are easier to talk with, sometimes strangers, sometimes family or a counselor).
🌈Understand that coming out isn’t a one-time thing, you’ll do it over and over again in life, and hopefully, it’ll be easier each time. Once you’ve done it, you keep doing it but more naturally.
Why is there a Coming Out Day?
It’s definitely not meant to rush you into things you don’t want or aren’t ready for. Coming Out day is meant to give awareness to the fact that being “out of the closet” is a power move! This day has been celebrated since 1988, and it was implemented by Dr. Robert Eichberg and Jean O'Leary during the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
