Closets are for clothes, not people

Today is the 25th National Coming Out Day! In 1988, Robert Eichberg founded the day to celebrate openness about sexuality, raise awareness for the LGBT community, and push for civil rights. The date of October 11th was chosen because the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights occurred the previous year on that date. 

You may know that I just recently "came out". Well, I had been out to my friends and coworkers for years but I had never actually let it come out to my family; the reason being my parents are firm believers in the Bible, its teachings, and the fact that homosexuality is a sin. They started their own church in their living room if that gives you any idea of the type of people they are. I thought it best to not rock the boat and just leave the issue unsaid. I was seriously considering leading a homosexual lifestyle with my parents unaware and under the "impression" that I was heterosexual. You may also know that it was not strictly necessary for me to come out, as it is fairly obvious from 5 minutes around me. Nonetheless, I felt like I had to have the talk and get it out in the open. 

My boyfriend and I planned and prepared a nice, vegan dinner for my parents. We sat, ate, talked, and even played some card games; it was a pleasant social gathering. I was extremely nervous the whole time. How would they react? I already lived on my own, but would they still try to "kick me out" or "pray for a cure"? After much deliberation and hesitation, I finally drew up the nerve and asked them to listen for a minute. 

As I grabbed my boyfriends hand, I explained that I was in love with a guy, Jonathan, and that I intended to spend the rest of my life with him. Silence. 

My mother asked me to say it all again; the sweat built up again as I repeated that I was going to spend the rest of my life with Jonathan and that he is now a part of the Iden family.  This next part is still a little hazy because it was so shocking. They said they were proud of me, they loved me, and they would love to get to know Jonathan better; we all stood up and hugged. I could not have even dreamed a better reaction! I realized that I should have never been nervous because I knew they loved me. I knew they supported me. I knew they would always love and support my decisions and future. 

We made a coming out dinner and a week later,
my parents made a "nice to meet you Jonathan" dinner

This is my coming out story. I am exceedingly lucky to have a situation where it was easy and joyful to be a homosexual because I know this is not always the case. My boyfriend had a very abrupt, forced outing that was very unplanned. Many people go through life completely closeted; many have horrifying war stories of tears and shouting. I just want to give hope to everyone out there that the LGBT community is very supportive. Hope is out there, even at the bleakest of times. If you are having any trouble, reach out to someone, anyone, and a helping hand will come. I would love to talk, chat, and listen to any problems. There are also numerous resources online available.

The Trevor Project is a 24-hour support that is available to talk about any issues. Click me!