Tips For Coming Out

Declaring your sexual identity to the world can be a very scary thing! We want to give some tips on coming out of closet to make the process a little less intimidating.

Timing

Deciding on when to step out of the closet is completely your decision (unless you’re booted out or trip and fall, landing on your face). Do not let the pressure of others affect your timing. Although, some say you’re never 100% ready for it. While that may be a feeling to take into consideration, understand the difference between your heart and your head. It’s always going to be scary revealing a part of yourself or to be vulnerable, but when you make that decision to be yourself and not hide anymore—you’re ready!

Labels

There is no written/unwritten requirement that says you have to decide your sexual preference. Take some time and figure it out. If there happens to be a label in which you identify best, go with that.

Plan

Most have found that telling one person in the beginning is best. This gives you a concrete foundation with which you can get a feel for how you want the future conversations to flow (the ones that might be a little more hard: family and/or friends). Tell someone that you feel won’t judge or criticize your decision to live authentically.

Rejection

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

-Dr. Seuss

Space

Not everyone is going to understand or accept you. The only thing you need to worry about is presenting yourself clearly. Tell your story. Some people might need space to process everything-- and that is completely ok. When this happens, you shouldn’t react with anger. “Coming out” can be overwhelming for family and friends. Provide the space that’s needed. They will come to you when the time is right.

Support

Draw support from a community of people. If it’s is a virtual community – that’s ok. We at FCKH8 try to provide a community-orientated platform for individuals to seek refuge and support with one another.

Repercussions

This is never fun to discuss, but in some cases it’s important to mention. Not every family is going to react the same. We’ve heard stories of people getting kicked out of their homes resulting in them living on the streets or in homeless shelters. Be aware of the possibilities. If you think this could happen to you, perhaps it’s best to wait until you are financially stable. In the case that you simply cannot wait to be your true authentic self – have a plan for if you were to be dismissed from all things familiar.