"Yes B*tch, I'm Gay AF:" A Coming Out Story

When I asked my best friend Taylor if she wanted to do an interview about her coming out story, she immediately replied, “Yes bitch, I’m gay as fuck” and I thought it was only appropriate to put it

as the title. We sat down and she answered some of my questions about being a part of the LGBTQ+ community in high school.

When did you realize you were gay? - In seventh grade after [watching] a Hayley Kiyoko music video. [However, looking back] I realize that I have always been gay I just didn’t know that was a thing; I didn’t know there was a word for it. So to answer your question, when I knew [I was gay] was in seventh grade, but looking back I always have been [gay].

When did you first tell someone? Who did you tell and why? - It was probably a couple of months after [I truly realized that] I was gay because it took me a while to accept it. There was a while when I knew I was gay but I was worried about how people would look at me and how it would change my relationships with people. So after a couple of weeks doubting myself and being in denial, I finally accepted myself and came out to my sister. I [didn’t] really intend on telling her but I said something and she was like, “Taylor do you have something to tell me?” and I was like, “Uh... yeah I’m gay.” She was very supportive and she bought me little pride flags in bulk off of Amazon.

Who was the hardest to tell and why? - Definitely, [my parents were the hardest to tell] because I cared most what they thought about me. I knew my sister was going to be supportive which is why it was so easy to tell her and I [knew] my parents would be supportive but I still had doubts. I told my friends before them. I was actually really terrified coming out to my friends, but eventually, I decided that it was more important to me that you guys know that part of me and know who I really am. [Coming out] to you guys went really well and I really wanted my parents to know because I felt like I was keeping something from them. So eventually, when wanting them to know outweighed the fear of telling them, I decided to come out. They were really supportive and honestly [not surprised].

Did anyone have an unexpectedly good or bad reaction? - I haven’t really had any bad reactions partly because, if I think someone won’t be supportive, I just don’t tell them or I at least don’t tell them in a way that is super dramatic. Probably the best reaction was from my friends especially since [my best friend] is super Catholic, hearing her be like “yes, you go girl” was really nice.

Are you out at school? How has it changed your relationship with your classmates? - Yes, I am. I just started at a new school so I have to come out to people all the time. It is actually easier to be out because my classmates were all [strangers] at first and if anyone [wasn’t accepting of me] I just didn’t hang out with them. In some ways, it has made me closer to people. Being out also got me a girlfriend so that’s a bonus.

Do you have any advice for LGBTQ+ kids who haven’t come out yet? - Yeah. If you are LGBTQ+ and considering coming out, it’s important to make sure that coming out is actually the best thing for you. If you feel like coming out might put you in danger, consider waiting until you feel safe. If you’ve already decided that you are going to come out, but you’re afraid, it helps to put it in perspective. It helped me to weigh the pros and cons of the possible outcomes. Finally, I know it’s cliché, but it really does get better.

I really want to give a huge thank you to Taylor for telling me about her experience and sharing her story. Through this process, I realized how important it is to create an environment of compassion and empathy so others feel empowered to be their authentic selves. To anyone that may be struggling with their identity, the Trevor Project can be a valuable resource: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ or you can call their hotline 1-866-488-7386.