Have you ever heard someone share their story of how they “came out”? Or maybe you have a family member, friend, or classmate that came out to you. Maybe you, yourself, have come out to someone or to those who support you. Maybe you’ve only heard of people coming out, but aren’t sure what it means.
As it is defined in our LGBTQ+ Equality Presentation, “coming out” refers to the journey a person has when discovering their sexual orientation or gender identity. Coming out also includes the experiences this individual has when they share their sexual orientation or gender identity with their family, friends, or other networks of support. Everyone who has come out has their own unique story. Sometimes family members and friends are very supportive of the person who has come out to them. Sometimes, when people come out, their family and friends reject, disown, and are even angry with the person who has come out.
Regardless of their experiences, you can help be an ally and support by helping create an environment of safety and trust if someone were to come out to you. Remember, for a person to come out means they are being very vulnerable, brave, and honest. Such courage can be reinforced when we choose to be a good friend, actively listen, and accept others.
LGBTQ+ Scenario #2
In a quiet setting, read the following scenario to yourself. Then, consider the follow-up questions.
Jamie and Melissa are best friends. They’ve been best friends since they were in the 2nd grade! Now, they are both in 8th grade. They live in the same neighborhood and hang out every day. They even walk to school together each morning! One day Melissa approaches Jamie and tells her she’d like to talk to her in private after school. When it was time to meet, Jamie could tell that Melissa was nervous. Her hands were clammy and her face looked pale. When Jamie asked Melissa what was wrong, Melissa began to tell Jamie that she had had something she’d been wanting to tell Jamie for a while now. She had been holding onto a secret and really just wanted to tell someone. She felt alone and wanted someone to know. Since they were best friends, Melissa couldn’t think of anyone better to talk to about it. Melissa shared with Jamie that she is gay. She then told Jamie that no one else knows. She’s too nervous to tell her family because she’s afraid of how they’ll react.
>If you were Jamie, how would you respond to Melissa? What would you say? What would you do?