“Horrifying and sometimes I regret coming out to my mother,” said a lesbian woman in her early 20s who came out recently.

“Was kind of forced into it although I always intended to come out,” said a young gay man who came out in his early 20s.

“Many are shocked – typical closed minded reaction,” said a man in his mid-20s who came out more recently. 

“Coming out is a constant process of one which queer individuals needs to do when in new spaces,” a young gay man explained.

2. Millennials

“Difficult. My parents were mostly concerned about what people would think and how hard my life could be as a gay woman,” said a lesbian woman who came out in her early 20s. 

“It was a very big deal to me coming out to my parents, as I was concerned they wouldn’t take it well. Both are religious. But in actual fact they were fine with it and told me it’s my life,” said another respondent who came out in their 20s.

“Mother took it badly for the first five years,” said a man in his 30s who came out as gay when he was in his late 20s. 

“The support from the family was as if nothing had changed and that should be as I’m still the boy they raised,” explained a gay man in his 30s.

“At first, it was very hard with my parents but they came around eventually,” said a woman who came out in her early 20s.

“It was not dramatic at all, just presented my boyfriend and that was it,” said a participant who came out in his mid-to-late 20s.

3. Gen X

“Took some time before being accepted but now it’s ok,” said a respondent in his 50s who came out in his early 20s. 

“I did it slowly, first starting with the closest people. I still don’t out myself if I don’t have to,” said another man who came out in his early 20s.

One notable trend gathered from the responses is that most participants came out at some point in their 20s, with many explaining that they didn’t come out earlier in life due to an intense fear of being judged or rejected.

While others simply hadn’t figured it out yet.

It seems as if that is the age range when most respondents felt courageous and confident enough to come out of the closet.

Being open and honest about one’s sexuality and/or gender identity is not an easy feat. It can lead to social isolation, changes in relationships and feelings of being unaccepted whether overtly or covertly.

However, coming out can also be a beautiful thing. It can show you the extent to which the people around you love you, how open their minds are and the freedom that comes with being your authentic self. 

Do you have a coming out story?