First Name: Olivia
Age: 22
Gender/Pronouns: Female
Sexuality: Bisexual
Region/Area: Columbus, OH
Race/Ethnicity: White
It was rough because my dad growing up was super racist/homophobic so I thought he’d hate me but it ended up being really good! I came out on Facebook and my entire family was super supportive and kind about it.
First Name: Lauryn
Age: 21
Gender/Pronouns: she/her
Sexuality: Bisexual
Region/Area: Grove City, OH
Race/Ethnicity: White
I was caught by my highschool girlfriends mom and she forced me to tell my parents or else I couldn’t see her anymore so obviously I did and when I did my mom was devastated. She cried asked how I knew, asked if I’d kissed a girl, asked if I knew if it would pass. Then she forced me to tell my strict Catholic father who accused me of not being his daughter and threatened to not let me go to college and also compared me and my girlfriend with pedophiles and people who have sexual relationships with animals (idk if there’s a name for it) so they made me break up with her and I dated a boy for 4 years after that but then I broke up with him and had to come out ONCE again to my mom cuz I am now 9 months into my new relationship with a girl I met in college (dad and extended family don’t know) but all my friends and my brother and my teachers and even coaches know. Guess dad will find out eventually again.
First Name: Maci
Age: 19
Gender/Pronouns: Female (she/her)
Sexuality: Queer
Region/Area: Cleveland, OH
Race/Ethnicity: White
I accidentally came out by my mother finding a lgbt-related craft i did with my friends. She was accepting because my sister is also queer, but she questioned it asking if i was just trying to mirror my sister. It doesn’t get talked about much and they don’t really acknowledge my queer-ness. Basically it wasn’t bad, but not great.
First Name: Kali
Age: 18
Gender/Pronouns: Female (she/her)
Sexuality: Lesbian
Region/Area: Greenup County, KY
Race/Ethnicity: White
Honestly coming out never really ends, but coming out to my grandmother (which is the only one I really cared about) was kind of a spur of the moment thing. I had heard about a coming out day and that a lot of people come out on thanksgiving to their entire family at once. I thought I’d do something similar, but turns out I just did it kind of suddenly when my grandmother had asked me to rub her shoulders. I guess I had been thinking about how I hated hiding it for a while, I hadn’t made any plans but after she told me she still loved me she went off to bed and I felt a lot better. I’m still constantly trying to find myself of course, but I’m still glad I did it when I did, even if she’s probably forgotten at this point.
First Name: Sierra
Age: 18
Gender/Pronouns: She/Her
Sexuality: Pansexual
Region/Area: Lexington, KY
Race/Ethnicity: White
Still havent to my parents but my buds were like oh ok or like ahaha no shit sherlock so no negative shit from that
First Name: Natalie
Age: 18
Gender/Pronouns: Female (she/her)
Sexuality: Bisexual
Region/Area: Louisville, KY
Race/Ethnicity: White
When I came out to my friends, they were all very accepting. I came out to my parents 3 years after my brother also came out as bi. My family is pretty liberal, but they often questioned my brother about whether he was sure, whether he was just gay/straight, etc. When I came out, my parents were more comfortable with the idea, and were pretty accepting. My mother said she knew from my hints, and asked me if I would ever marry a woman, and I responded that I would. She said she grew up with sisters and could never think of them like that, to which I responded yes, because they’re your sisters, and that’s incest. Later that day, she came into my room and cried about potentially not having grandchildren. In June, she bought us a piece of rainbow cake for pride month. My dad never spoke to me directly about it, besides saying “okay”, but will occasionally repost things advocating for the LGBT community on facebook.
First Name: Shay
Age: 19
Gender/Pronouns: Female (she/they)
Sexuality: Bisexual
Region/Area: Eastern Kentucky
Race/Ethnicity: White
I came out in February of my junior year in hs. I came out as soon as I realized that I was bi, as I had experienced several years of compulsive heterosexuality and didn’t think about it for a long time. Coming out to my friends and peers was easy, but my family not so much. My parents didn’t disown me, but they still don’t accept it. They just pretend it’s not true. I have a boyfriend now, so it’s easy for them to pretend I’m straight.
First Name: Ashley
Age: 18
Gender/Pronouns: Female
Sexuality: Lesbian
Region/Area: Dayton, OH
Race/Ethnicity: White
Overall, my experience was positive, but there were definitely some that really weren’t. The ones that weren’t positive were the ones that stuck the most.
First Name: Anonymous
Age: 18
Gender/Pronouns: Female
Sexuality: Queer
Region/Area: Eastern Kentucky
Race/Ethnicity: White
I never had any sort of formal coming out. The first person I told was a friend from summer camp; I think I was in the 8th grade. We were texting and I was like “hey btw I’m not straight.” I identified as bisexual for a few years, and the only people who knew were my friends from camp. I started going to a new high school junior year and I didn’t hide my sexuality. My best friend told me a few weeks ago how she knew I wasn’t straight. I had downloaded tinder and had both guys and girls on the app. So when she found out it was a very casual setting, I didn’t even say anything. With most of my other friends, I would say/do something kinda gay and they would say “oh you’re gay?” I would say yes and that was it. Later on, I clarified to my friends that I think a better term for me is queer, but I wasn’t really comfortable with labels. I haven’t told my family, but they are definitely suspicious.
First Name: Anonymous
Age: 18
Gender/Pronouns: Female
Sexuality: Queer
Region/Area: Central Ohio
Race/Ethnicity: White
The first time I came out to anyone was January of my senior year to my best friend. I went to a Christian school, so I had a lot of internalized homophobia that took years to overcome. I’m out to a lot of my friends now, but I still am not and never will be out to my family.