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Keith’s Story

I was 17 when I finally came out. I’d had some of my first experiences with a guy (he was 24) and I made friends with his roommate who I spent a lot of time talking to and he really helped build my self confidence so I could tell my family. I’d finally made up my mind to tell my mom when she got home one night, she was in a bad mood, but it felt like a now or never type of thing, so I forged ahead. I don’t even remember how that conversation went. I went inside and I told my sister and she initially laughed because she thought I was kidding. My sister was great, but my mom and I fought a lot over the next year. Not about me being gay, but about literally everything else. She couldn’t be mad at me for being gay, so everything else became a fight. A lot of very hurtful, hateful things were said. But time passed, I went away to college. And things changed. My mom finally accepted it. She’s been friends with my friends, she’s gone out to clubs and gotten up on stage taking shots with drag queens, she was at my wedding this April. My mom was always one of my closest friends and I’m glad she still is today, but there was definitely a period where it felt like it was all falling apart.

National Coming Out Day 2018

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