Wow!

Thank you all for your support. Its great to know that there are others who understand what I’m going through.

I know that it will be a matter of time before I come out, and I really don’t mind telling other people, but I really doubt I’ll be able to come out to my family. (But of course, knowing the small world we live in, and how quick news travels, I worry that my parents will find out about me being gay from other people.)

I’ve been reading through some of your stories on the forum, and have been touched 🙂

So thank you once again.

Wow!

Thank you all for your support. Its great to know that there are others who understand what I’m going through.

.

interesting Joshjay isn’t it……whilst in the closet we can be so isolated and alienated even feeling like we must be the only ones and that no-one understand…….that is one of the most cruel impacts of the closet…..and can even impact our mental health.

once we begin to come out then we find a whole new world……even if at this stage it is basically in cyberspace….its great to find.

Coming out is basically being honest with ourselves about who we are………who knows about it and when should be as much in our control as we can…….if we handle it well…..we discover things about others……who’s love in conditional…..who is ignorant…….who is bigoted….and those who love and accept us unconditionally.

In coming out properly we give those around us the opportunity to shine…….some will be tarnished by humanity.

Yeah, I wrote a letter to them!! It was ok, and got the message to them, but they haven’t wanted to talk about it since, so it’s been awkward!

I will agree with you though, having come out to them, I now feel like I can come out to people as I want, so there is a sense of relief involved for sure, just from taking that first step!

This is Muffin’s thread from a while back: http://www.freedom2b.org/topic/1129

Hey JoshJay,

Not sure where you are at since November, but thought I would share an experience I had.

I was coming out to my very Christian Zimbabwe friend who had Jesus right down deep in her heart. I was always very upfront with her about everything in my life (except that one little issue of course). Absolutely terrified at how she was going to react. Aweful anxiety attacks, the whole thing.

When I eventually built up the courage I managed to mutter something like “Shona, I think I might be gay and I know that you think that is a sin, and I know I’m probably going to hell and, and, and….”

She looked at me, smiled and said “Dan, I don’t know what Jesus thinks about being Gay, and I think that anyone that professes to know would be very ignorant. What I do know, is that if you spent your whole life being someone that you felt you weren’t, then when you get to Heaven, I’d be very surprised if Jesus said “Well done, good and faithful servant”. You need to be who you are and who makes you happy and know that I’m your friend for you, not for the bible.”

Could of knocked me over with a feather. But instead we laughed and cried and carried on just like normal. My mountain somehow turned into a molehill and I was able to be closer with my dear friend despite me being completely open about who I was.

What’s my point? You never know how people are going to react. Some may be bad, others will unexpectadly be good. Some will blow you away. One thing is for sure, you are who you are and you only ever have to come out once. Once it’s done, it’s done.

All the best.