Today is National Coming Out Day.
Mary M, aka Twitter user @feministgayry, invited people to share their coming out stories with the hashtag #OutAndProud. Every Sunday, she creates queer hashtags for people to share and use to open dialogues.
https://twitter.com/feministgayry/status/1050429080380821504
She then shared her own coming out story.
Mary M wrote she fell in love with a woman when she was 13, but didn’t accept herself and her sexuality until she was 14 and met an online friend who was also gay.
People began flooding the hashtag with their own stories, all at once uplifting, inspiring, and heartbreaking.
Here are 11 of those stories.
‘I started crying’
This user told her mom and started crying. Her mom’s response was to tell her she’s strong, not alone, and valid.
‘Happy 20gayteen’
Being out to your friends, but not yet your family is totally valid. Coming out is a different process for everyone.
User @gcrushrry also had their first kiss with a girl this past Pride, which is definitely worth celebrating.
‘Things will get better’
Coming out can be even harder if it’s taken away from you. User @verylargegay writes her mom still doesn’t accept her, but her friends do, and there’s hope things can get better.
‘More sleepovers’
Heck yeah sleepovers!
Never have I ever…
This is definitely a memorable coming out story — telling your friends during a game of Never Have I Ever! At least it all turned out for the best.
‘Gender doesn’t matter’
For this Twitter user, both of her parents jumped the gun and simply made comments about it. Luckily, they were both supportive and her dad told her that ‘gender doesn’t matter’.
‘Proud of be bisexual’
‘I came out three years ago and got laughed at by my family,’ writes @baileyxtaylor.
Now they’re more accepting and she says she’s proud to be bisexual.
‘Hard to accept myself’
For user @evexlien, her parents were supportive of her at first but ‘then they’d tell me how they can’t accept that I like girls’.
Now it’s making it harder for her to accept herself. Everyone’s journey is different, but all are valid and worth love and acceptance.
‘She’s proud!’
Identities can change over time, but for user @rauhling_bizzle, her mom is proud of who she is now and that’s good.
An anniversary
For some, National Coming Out Day is a reminder of when they came out and how far they’ve come.
‘100% out and VERY proud’
And everyone’s journey is something to be proud of.
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Facebook adds ‘came out’ life event to celebrate National Coming Out Day
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