Being gay means something different for everyone.
Some people see it as a choice, and others see it as a way of life. Some people are proud to be gay, and some people are ashamed of it. In the end, it’s the person’s choice how they choose to act and who they choose to tell about their sexuality.
The world is becoming more accepting of homosexuality, but there are still those who don’t understand it or agree with it.
That’s why it is so hard for many gay people to share their stories with families and friends. The term “coming out” is often used to describe what happens when a person opens up about being gay.
Because so many people chose to hide it, they were considered to be “in the closet.” Coming out means they came out of the closet or out of hiding and are open about it. Not everyone likes this term or analogy. Queer Eye star Karamo Brown is one of them. He recently talked about the term and the experience of opening up about sexuality. He said:
“For me, ‘coming out’ gives the power to the other person to accept or deny you. When you’re ‘inviting them in,’ you have the power.”
Instead of “coming out” – he calls it “letting people in.”
He recalled his own “coming out” and said that he was lucky to have a supportive family.
They loved him no matter what. In fact, his grandmother told him something that changed the way he thought about himself and about being gay. He explained:
“My grandmother said this, and I loved the way she put it: Imagine if somebody came to your house and knocked on your door and you said, ‘Hey, come into my fabulous home. It represents me.’ And they were like, ‘I don’t like it.’ You’re not gonna cry. You’re gonna close your door and feel comforted because you’re in your house. And that was the same way [with] me. When I was letting people into my life, if they didn’t want to come into my life, I knew that was OK because I still had my home. I felt safe about myself.”
He also talked about people who don’t have accepting or supportive families.
He wants gay people to know that they don’t have to put up with disrespect from anyone. They deserve friends and family just like everyone else. Being gay doesn’t change who they are as a person, and it shouldn’t change who they are in the eyes of the people in their lives. He said:
“If they do not want to come into your life immediately, that has nothing to do with you — they are on their own journey. Do not tolerate disrespect, because you deserve only the best.”
Still, deciding to be open about being gay is a big step.
It shouldn’t be taken lightly, and it can be a big deal for everyone involved. There are plenty of resources online that can help people open up to their families and friends about the homosexuality.
The Trevor Project offers a guide that can be printed out and used to help make the process a little easier.
The guide says:
“The idea of sharing something you think your family may disapprove of can be scary, to say the least. Some people tell a family member who they think might be supportive, first. It might also make you feel safer to have a backup plan for housing, food, school and transportation in case your family is very unsupportive.”
Anyone who is openly gay knows how hard it can be to take that first step and tell the people they care about.
They are scared of judgment and rejection. Being gay isn’t anything to be ashamed of, and most of the time, people are accepting. The best thing a person can do is be honest with themselves and the people they care about. Own it and be proud.
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‘Queer Eye’ star Karamo Brown thinks we need a new term for ‘coming out’ pic.twitter.com/7ECfnmwEZr
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 23, 2018
