Demographics
First Name: Mia
Age: 18
Gender/Pronouns: She/They
Sexuality: Gay/Lesbian
Region/Area: Kettering, OH
Race/Ethnicity: Chinese American
Story
I grew up in a Catholic household. When I first came out it was to my mother. She didn’t react super badly but she also didn’t react very well. She would talk to me like I was “deciding” this and used to tell me she’d pray for me. (At that time I knew she meant pray for it to go away). For awhile, my mother never brought up relationships or sexuality with me. However, this year was the first time my mom finally accepted what I had told her and openly told me she loved me and would love whoever I loved. It was a really nice change of pace. However, that doesn’t erase the years of emotional stress she put on me. Growing up religious has made me very quiet about who I come out to. I’ve told a couple other people including my siblings and friends. They are all super accepting and supportive. (A lot of my friends identify as lgbt+ in some type of form so it’s not a surprise they were supportive). But yeah. That’s my overall experience with coming out.