I never told mine they just found out when i dated my first girlfriend and they thought i shouldnt do that cuz she was younger. We got in butt load of trouble. * grin

XstrikerX

The story I like most is when I was at school, this was after my friends and family knew. This girl was trying to set me up with a guy in my class, and it was like..

Her: You should go out with him
Me: I don't date guys
Her: Oh, so you just play around with them?
Me: ........*The people next to me got it* No, I'm gay

She just said 'oh' and walked away. 10 minutes later, my whole year level knew and were all coming up to me during our sport class.

No secrets at that school, obviously.

-----------
You're Everywhere to me.

I came out at the end of last year. The first person i told was my mum of course it was over the phone, i had planned to tell her when i saw her, but she forced it out of me saying that if i didn't tell her than she would think something was wrong, so i told her and reply was: 'it was either going to be you or your brother' i than told my dad over the internet, only because i was talking to him and thought it would be a good idea, the conversation i had with my dad went something like this:

Me:What would you say if i told you i was gay?

Dad:Good for you its your life and you can do what you want

Me:thanks

Dad:you havent told me yet

Me: Dad i'm gay

my dad than came out with "Do you watch gay porn now?" i did tell a couple of my friends , but they already knew. My brother didn't care, but when my mum told my older sister she was not impressed and she didn't accept it at first. I do have to say though i'm not out to my grandparents who i live with at the moment, but they have their suspicions.

well, i guess the first hints i'm gay were in my very young life. i was a huge tomboy all the way through. i actually looked like a boy until puberty. i kinda sorta got girlier, but not really. anyhow, i went all the way through high school. dated a few guys, didn't really care. i dated one guy for like a year and a half, but eventually i knew he just wasn't what i wanted, didn't really know why (not that bright of me!). anyhow, in my first semester of college i realized i didn't really have interest in any guys...then it all sort fell out from there. i got hooked up to afterellen, sorta went through the emotional process and so forth...i just started telling a couple close friends this spring. first i told my best friend. she goes to college about 300 miles away, so i waited till she came home in summer. we were sitting in her car catching up on life and stuff. the conversation went something like:

me:"well i've wanted to tell you something for awhile, but had to do it in person."

her:"you had sex!"

me:"no"

her: "you tried drugs didn't you, o my god"

me:"no, no nothing like that"

her: "are you in trouble or anything?"

me: "i'm gay!"

her:"...what"

me: " i think i'm gonna vomit"

anyway, i didn't vomit, i had just felt super nervous. we talked most of the rest of the night, about that, and other stuff too. she asked me most of the questions i had first worried about like what that meant with me being a christian, and how my parents would take it, and if i ever wanted to get married or have kids. but she was really accepting. basically she said, "you're my best friend and i love you no matter what."

then i told another good friend of mine, who was really great. i told her, and she said, "you know i'm glad that you are. i'd rather have you be who you are and be happy. i think it good that you're gay and you are able to come out" she was great.

finally, only recently i told my big brother. i still don't think its soked in all the way, but he has been really great so far.

thats as far as i've gotten with coming out. i still have to tell the parentals, so we'll see how that goes. but i have high hopes! good luck to all of you guys too :)

My most memorable coming out story I guess would be about a year after I came out to most of the ppl that really mattered to me. Then one of my closest girl-friends had finally come home from her studies...the funny part is she was studying in Greece...more specifically the island of Lesbos in Mitilini (no kidding)....

So we got together and after a few hours we got a bit buzzed and everyone had sorta relaxed...so that's when I started the conversation about lesbians...I wanted to know how she really felt about gay ppl and since she lived in the Lesbian Capital of the world I thought it would be a good way to open up the conversation...

What I got from her was soooo hurtful, she had not one good thing to say about homosexuality and that just the idea of it was enough to make her sick...

After a while the conversation turned to an argument and after a while she blurted out: "Bottom line, I've never ever met a lesbian that I like and wasnt disgusting!"

That sorta switched a light on for me and I just said:

"Are you sure about that? Are you sure you've never met a lesbian that you liked?"

she sorta got quiet with that....blinked a few times "What do you mean?"

"I'm a lesbian, and it seems that you've been friends with one for over 10 years!!!"

Ok granted I wasn't out for all those 10 years...I just said it for effect...

And boy oh boy did it have an effect....She went very pale....blinked hard...started crying and left...

I felt really bad about the whole thing, but mostly hurt.

A few days later she called me and we met up, she apologised for all the harsh word she said about gay ppl and had she known about me she wouldnt have said them but most importantly she said that she felt hurt by the way I had "tricked" her with the whole conversation but understood why I went about it the way I did. Having such a close friend being gay she said made her re-evaluate her frame of mind and that she always loved me and always will and me being gay couldn't make her stop now. "If someone I care so much about is a lesbian makes me think that more ppl like you could be gay and I am unfair to judge them just by their sexuality..."

More crying, hugging and talks followed after that.....She now is a gay rights supporter and her life in Lesbos has become a blast. Every time she comes back, she has more stories about all the new gay and staight friends she's met....

That for me was my best coming out story since, it not only changed my life but someone I love and care about :)

My coming out story isn't that interesting but it was the first time i had told anyone:

*Texting my friend* she asks who i fancy, and I sort of say "em no-one, well  no-one I can tell you." She then phones and tells me to tell her, and I say "Eh my dinner's ready, gotta go." *runs off* Later, she calls again and says "You can tell me, no matter who it is." I then say "I can't tell you this person, i need a boy to talk to." *Silence* Then she says "Is it a girl?" when i sorta cough, to indicate she's right. She continues "So what. Did you think I'd hate you or something, God Cammy, I love you still. Anyway that's HOT! So... who is she?" 

Needless to say I felt like a fool for being ashamed of telling her. And someone outed me, so i don't have to tell others

My coming out story invloved a lot of alcohol! First time I ever told anyone I was gay was in the toilets of a club when I was very drunk and my mate asked me have I ever fancied a girl? I said yes and then realised what I had said and ran into the nearest toilet cubicle, I ended up confessing to her all the girls I liked and crying and then got even more drunk. I then went through a period of not talking to this mate cos she knew I was gay and I even dated a guy cos I was still in deep denial. Anyway about 4 months later I started talking to my mate again (why she talked to me again is a mystery) and I found I could talk to her easily about the whole gay thing and she was very understanding. I still couldn't accept it myself but with her encouragement I found it easier to tell other people, although only close friends, and accept it myself. Gradually I acceped who I was but it took about 4 years during uni to finally deal with it. When I had my first girlfriend I felt I was ready to tell my mum, it was the scariest thing I have ever done in my whole life. I went home from uni to visit her with the sole purpose of telling her. She randomly brought up the conversation about whether I had a boyfriend and I thought it's now or never. So I said I didn't have a boyfriend but I had a girlfriend, she said she didn't understand but did ask some questions about my girlfriend. We've never talked about it again but I feel good that at least she knows and she can deal with it in her own time, it took me about 5 years to fully accept it so I see no reason why I should rush her. The rest of my family don't have a clue, don't think I could face telling my grandparents.

I really wouldn't recommend telling anyone while really drunk it just means you wake up with the worst hangover the next day.

The first time I came out to my mom. I had known I was gay for a loooong time. I had my first gf at 14. But, at age 17 I had gone across the state to go to college and during the summer had worked at a camp. One of my best friends there had written me a letter at the end of the summer telling me she was queer. I smiled and LOL, because really, I had always known that. My mom wanted to know what was so funny, so I told her and then continued with how I was a lesbian too. This was back in the 80's and to my horror, because of her lack of awareness, she started asking me about AIDS etc. We had a long discussion re: myths vs. facts; philosophy; religion the whole gamut. It turned out to be a very good experience for both of us.

Of course I have many more coming out stories: the first time I told a straight friend; another gay friend; other relatives etc. etc. Coming out is an evolution and seems to be a lifelong ongoing process.

I agree with Leibug :-) (hey there Miss Lei ;-)).. coming out is never ending!

But I think the "coming out" that most marked me, and which also made all the rest of the "coming out" steps easier, was telling my mom that I am a lesbian. It was not easy, and things got very ugly for a while, I got called every name in the book, but ultimately she realized that there is nothing she can do. Today we are okay :-)

Have never had a confrontation with str8 friends about it, ultimately the ones who accepted it are friends, the rest are good riddance ;-)

"For most of history, Anonymous was a woman" - Virginia Woolf

I had to come out to my friends one-by-one, this was before I had a facebook lawl. The first person I came out to (aside from myself) was my best friend from high school. Prior to the actual coming out, I hinted at it at school. It was the Friday before the Season 5 premiere of the L Word. I was like "OMG! I got Showtime back, just in time for free porn on Sundays!"

That night, we were on gchat, and this is what happened.

Me:I would pay $200 to see Keira Knightley read from a phone book.

Her: Honey, that's a little sick.

Me: I don't have a tattoo of her name on my chest.

Her: Ask yourself really really hard before you get that tattoo. My cousin was thrown out of the house when she got one.

Me: So how do I tell my parents?

Her: Don't say "I'm a lesbian," your mom might think you said "I'm a thespian" and she'll say "Oh that's great honey." Gay won't sound like hay unless you spread it out and say "I'm gu-hay."

Me: Thanks.

Her: No problem. You know, for the longest time, everyone was thinking I was gay and you're straight. But I didn't wanna point out the mistake, you know what I mean.

Me: Oh, wow. Am I that girly? Gee...Wait a second, you knew? What?

Her: Hun, you told me a while back that if you ever get married, the wedding is gonna be in Canada.

Me: I love you!

Her: Now, I'm a very liberal person, but I know deep down, even after watching an episode of The L Word, that I do not swing that way. But, I love you too.

Come by and see me I'm a love letter away

I didn't come out to self until I was 16. Can you imagine this at a peak age of teenage hormones and sexual awareness. I was a mess emotionally at 15 because of my sexual awareness. I had long been attracted to girls before I was 16 and realized I was different around 14 or 15. It took along time to process my feelings and everything. I wrote a note to  one of my friends in class. She must had told others b/c iit got back to  one of my best friends who was pissed that she was lthe ast to know about it. She's  pretty much a roughneck/tough girl type. She couldn't understand why she was last person to know. Probably b/c she was my former bully in elementarty/jr. high school and I was very much afraid of her. She confronted me during lunch hour, and she goes off on a rampage about how could she be the last to know ,I was best friend,et cetra et cetra. I'm thinking yeah just be loud so everyone  around can hear this. I was sooo embarrassed b/c she was loud,and now a whole other bunch of people knew thanks to her big mouth. After she calmed down,she was cool. During this coming out journey in High School, I lost friends, people looked at me with disgust, I was threaten by other girls.  However, on a good note, I met a few incredible people in  High school.

Currently, a  few people at my current job knows(the ones who are gay or bi). I still mislead people on purpose. Sometimes I just don't feel like coming out. Whenever womyn ask me if I'm married or have boyfriend. I just don't feel like coming out. I burnt out coming of coming out.  I agree coming out is a continous process. I know I sound hypocritical but really do I want to be bombarded by a zillion questions by people you don't even have lunch with or not your friends? I sure don't. When I do come out. I do it in subtle ways. If they're smart,they would pick it up.

As far as my parents, I'm pretty sick of tired coming out. I came out to my Dad over the phone. It still didn't register with him, which is not my problem. Also it didn't with my mom. I don't care b/c she acidentally found out and threatened me bodily harm at 16. I had to lie so my life can be spared. I know she knows. It's her problem that she's in denial about it.

You can come out,but if others don't get it, there's nothing more you can do but leave them only about it.  You spilled your truth now it's time for them to accept it or not. I came out to my one of my sisters ast year. She's cool with it.

Anyone asks. I'm not going to deny it.

 I hope this helps someone out there.

I'l precurse my story with the fact that my Dad has had one hell of a year. My mom, having MS, recently has had severe progression leading her to be placed in long term care, My sister (unemployed and ueducated) got pregnant, and I had gotten into a pretty bad car accident.

So I was dating my current girlfriend for a while. She had nothing to do on Thanksgiving so without really thinking of the implications I said to her, "Oh you should come down to my Dads with me!" .. she accepted, and then I realized what I had just done.

I weighed my options, bring her there under the pretense of her being a friend, or just coming out. I chose the latter and decided to call him the DAY before I was expected to drive down and said, "Uhm Dad, I am bringing someone else down this weekend. Shes uhm.. well, shes my girlfriend." 

His response on the phone was just, "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow"

I was a bit stunned and didn't know what to expect so we headed down and when we got there he hugged my girl, said that he loved me no matter what, and then proceeded to say,
"I hope this is the last of the damn family announcements. I am going to start unplugging my phone before your brother calls to tell me he's married a Stripper in Vegas"

He then spent the rest of the night bonding with the girlfriend over smoke breaks in the Garage. Shes not all that butch, but she sure played the part that night!

I came out to my mom the next day in her hopsital room, and she laughed and said it was no big deal, as I expected. Problem is, she has no short term memory and forgets it every 5 minutes. So, I have to relive my coming out over, and over, and over again. 

Shit this could get long. I was raised to think us gay folk were disgusting, mentally unstable.. w/e I was 11 or 12 the first time i tried to come out.. my best friend at the time had come out as a lesbian to me. I told her i thought i was bi, she kissed me.. I rember right after it happened i wrote her a note telling her i was straight w/e. her mom found it. The next time i spent the night, Her mom had us sleep in the living room lol. course i was so freaked out about it , i started treating her horribly as a friend. funny thing is now im gay and she's straight.

 So after that i still had the thoughts i didnt really think about coming out till i was 14 i came out as bi, at the same time as one of my other best friends. i swear to god she was copying me[she is to date straight]. And then i really came out when i was 16. I just became so much gayer. so unafraid to show it. The only people ive met who have an issue with it, is my mom and my sister. I fought with my mother about it recently...

she's sending me to live with my father, and honestly hafl the reason is beacause she thinks it will make me straight.

ugh.

God helps those, Who help themselves.... In bed.

my family and i were at the public pool one day, during the summer between my 8th and 9th grade year - i was 14. i was just sitting in a lounge chair, staring at people. i saw this girl with the most amazing hips, and suddenly, the question hit me: do i like girls?
an artistic streak runs in my family, and ever since i could hold a crayon, i had been drawing. 99% of my drawings were beautiful women (and they still are.) i loved xena: warrior princess as a kid. i had dated a boy in junior high for a year, but i broke up with him just before that pivotal summer began, without much regret.
i didn't take much time to deliberate, and decided, "yeah, i do like girls."
the first person i told was my friend ashley. she didn't really understand or accept it at first; she said i was making a mistake and i didn't know what i was doing, but then again she was going to a baptist church at the time (she's since stopped going to church and listens to heavy metal now.)
then i told my friend kelly, and she was accepting.
i told my guy friend sammy, who is also bisexual, and he and i talk about sexy people together.

i told my mom when she brought up that my aunt was a lesbian.
i haven't told my dad yet. i don't know if he'd approve.

i feel like i still have a lot of people to tell. i've never really been involved in the gay community or had a girlfriend, i don't feel like i'm doing enough.
when i get to college, though, i'll be in a bigger city and there will actually be a gay community there. it'll be like a coming-out party when i get there!

i don't really have any memorable or funny or tragic coming out stories (well, my parents still think it's a phase so its like i never came out to them!!) but I guess the funniest part of my coming out process was when I was trying to hint it to a (guy) friend of mine. We were sketching in mathematics:

him: you know, your line isn't straight.

me: well, not everyone is.

A few days later I officially came out to him and he said I made it kind of obvious :P
ahh, good times, good times :D

[ I carry your heart.. I carry it in my heart.. ]

i just came out to the very first person a few hours ago.. a friend of mine had been kind of prying at me the last few days as to why i turned down the offer to go back out with an ex-boyfriend.. and i'd been kind of wanting to just tell someone and get it over with, so i just took the opportunity... 

i told her that when my ex wanted to talk the other day he suggested we go for coffee.. but i suggested we go for pizza instead.. bc of the really cute girl that works at the pizza place.. and at first i didn't think she understood what i said.. but then she was like.."is that it?" and started laughing... i started laughing too.. but in my head i was thinking ohmygodohmygodohmygod... and then she proceeded to tell me that she and a few other friends already suspected it (and were totally ok with it too --bonus!)... which kind of made me curious as to their reasoning, but i let it go bc i was still pretty shaky (i'm not really much for talking about feelings.. haha)

i figure that by the end of the summer i'll have come out to at least all my close friends... and then go from there :)

thanks to everyone at AE, bc without this community, there's no way i would have ever had the courage to even think of coming out.. :)

when i was younger, i was one of those teased kids that everyone called a lesbian and way constantly tortured by others all through school. because of having to live through all that, i never really "came out" until i was 25.

i was a total closet case and was trying to live a lie, that got me knocked up and ended up married as well. granted, i love my daughter, and i wouldn't change having her for anything in the world. after i realized what i was doing was wrong, i filed for divorce and moved back home... where the parents had a family meeting to tell me i was gay and i needed to deal with it. 

but now, i'm a happy. i am in a great relationship. my daughter is happier than ever and so am i.

After years of inner turmoil, experimentation, self-discovery, blah blah blah:

Me:  I think I might kind of like... girls.

My friend: No you dont.

Me: What?

My friend: We all think Jessica Albas hot, okay?  Get over it. 

Me: ... uhm. Okay?

3 months later when I'm wasted: "I'm gay!!"

My friend:  "I know."

And then I started coming out to my other friends.  Who were all very shocked, but cool.  When I told my one friend she began to laugh hysterically until she realized I wasn't joking.  And then it became common knowledge, I started dating and after a sucession of bad "relationships" (if you could even call them that) I came out to my mom.  She wasn't very thrilled, in fact she was pretty upset, but determined to be supportive, even though it hurts her.  My dad as well. I guess they just need time. 

I think of my coming out as two stories, one with my friends and one with my family and i came out to my friends first. It was two weeks before my fifteenth birthday and we were at the beach, i had realised i was gay months earlier because there was only so many signs you could ignore before you accept it really lol.

Anyway we were sitting there and this girl a few yards away was absolutely gorgeous and i must have been staring because when i turned back to look at my friends they were all staring at me with raised eyebrows and i started stammering something about liking her bikini haha it was a weak excuse and even i knew it anyway all of them just carried on staring and then my friend Karly just looked at me and went "your so gay." i must have gone white or something after that because they all started asking me if i was okay and i mumbled something like "how long have you guys known" and they all froze and said "We were kidding, we didnt actually think you were...now we do."

It's kinda funny when you think about it lol my family though wasnt so funny. I'd been going out with this girl for awhile and we were in my house watching tv when we started kissing and no one was home so we kinda got carried away but my father came home and walked in on us kissing, it didn't help that i was topless really :/

Not a fun time.

I Get Genuine Obsessions With Women - Most of Them a Good 20 Years Older Than Me as Well as Being My Teachers - And it Doesn't Actually Worry Me , I Mean the Majority of Guys Make My Skin Crawl , They all Think Im Really Frigid Because of This .. But Im So Glad I Like Women . Its Not Even as If They're Amazingly Attractive From Hearing My Friends' - They Seem to Like Me While I Despise Most of Them - Descriptions , but I Have Half a Heart Attack When I Catch Sight Someone I Have a Crush - That Doesnt Seem to Cover It But Hey - on .

Anyway , I Was on This School Trip Maybe 6 Months Ago .. And My Old Spanish Was There as Well - so There Wasnt a Lot I Took in on That Trip , and Im so Smitten Im Sure Ill Burst , The Most Interesting Coach Conversation Whent Somthing Like This ..

Me : Miss Reid's Really Pretty isnt She ?

Hattie : Eurgh , No Shes Well Disgusting Looking !

Me : Oh - Under My Breath - I Thing She's Beautiful .

Hattie : Ha ! Ooh , You Have a Crush on Her ?

Me , Flatly & Not Looking at  Her : Yes .

She Laughs Thinking Im Joking . I Gave Her My Best Fake Smile . I Still Have an Obsession .

I knew I was gay before highschool but didnt talk to anyone about it because I wasnt even interested in dating. Basically I knew that I didnt like guys but girls were more appealing to me. I came out officially to my mom when I turned 19. I took my mom out to dinner and this is what happen...

me: mom, I need to tell you something and I hope you dont hate me for it.

mom: I wouldn't you're my only daughter and I love you no matter what.

me: good. because I dont like guys.

mom: *blank stare*

me: I like girls. I'm attracted to other females then guys.

mom: *blank stare*

me: I love you

mom: its a phase

me: no, I've always been this way, I just didnt care for relationships til now.

mom: but I wanted to see you get married and i want grandchildren

me: well I'm not the marrying type and I do want a kid but no guy involved.

mom: *blank stare*

me: check please.

After the dinner nothing much was said so I gave it a couple of months for my mom to take it all in before I talked to her about it somemore. Now 12 years later, mom loves my girlfriend and is always on her side. Imagine that.

Didn't believe me.

Unfortunately, I came out at a bad time. I had just been busted for smoking weed, even though I wasn't stoned when I came out... 

My dad didn't care.

My mom insisted that Gay people are more likely to get Aids...My mom thinks girls should behave like girls and grow up to be pretty ladies who date and eventually marry men and have babies. Instead she got the freak. 

hahaha

This happened just about a year ago. It's almost like the one before i was caught with grass and to add  the blowing punch i told my mom  "guess what mom Im a lesbian". She then told me to tell my dad and my dad just started laughing. I guess that ment he didnt belive me? my mom told me she always knew that i was cuz i didn't like to wear "girly" clothes.

My parents claim to be ok with it but i dont think they accept it. Its kind of hard to be gay in a mexican family, so for now they are lucky cuz im not seeing any one!!! but i feel bad for them when i take that step cuz they are going to have to explain.

I've come out to a few friends, but the most memorable is my straight friend.. Uh, G.

G had been making jokes about my sexuality for some time, using my appearance, joining the GSA and Crew all at once as a basis. I knoweveryone says never come out in a moving vehicle, but I figured he would think I was kidding anyways. After a nice buildup, (should I tell him? will he tell others? He won't care, but still... Should I? Should I?!) I decided I should. And I told him I might possibly find females attractive. His reaction was along the lines of.. "aw man it's not even strictly women? That's boring. "

And now he keeps joking about how it's a phase, and how he has to 'turn me straight again.'

It's fine, if not slightly annoying. He's just kidding, I hope.

Oh then there's my polar opposite friend. My younger gay friend.. T.

T kept trying to convince me I was a lesbian and I thought he knew I was into either/or! But he didn't and he's still trying to convince me to break up with my boyfriend and go straight for the vag. It's pretty hilarious, I love these people.

And I do not plan to come out to my family or boyfriend for a while. I'm leaving it up to them to initiate, seeing as my sister and mother make rude comments about homosexuals etc, and I want to see what boyfriend's reaction is haha.

Although I think I'm just way nervous to tell him. (My posts always end up so much longer than they should..)

Well basically my mum knew i was gay Looooong Before i did, so one time when i was 15 she was watching a DVD on the sofa in my room and i came in to go to bed so she was like i'll go at the end of the film. So anyway we got talking and i had been a bit down then because i was doing exams and i can a HUGE straight girl crush and my mum asked me why i was so sad lately.

Me - Uh... i dunno.. Just stuff

then it all goes quiet. Mum - Is it.. Is it because you're.. Gay?

ME (in a tiny voice) - a little bit.

Coming out to my friends was a bit harder we were all sitting on a bench when i was 17 at sixth form and my then *secret* girlfriend was sitting on my lap when my best friend went "awww, you two would make such a good couple" And when my GF jumped off my lap and shouted at me 'DID YOU TELL THEM' i think my friends kinda figured it out.. Lol.. Happy days..

" i *Heart* Oy oy lady"