Coming out of the closet was harder than I thought!

Hey friend!

I’ve just posted part 1 of my coming out story. I was a teenager in high school, and oh boy, I learned a lot from that experience. Go ahead and give it a read HERE.

Doesn’t it feel good when you’ve finally discovered and established who you are? Of course, it does! That’s why coming out is so important to the Black LGBTQ+ community.

For those of you living under a rock or who need further explanation, coming out is when a person tells others, usually family and friends, how they identify themselves, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other aspects of who they are. However, coming out of the closet is easier said than done. It can be nerve-racking and difficult for a person to find the right words to convey, especially if a queer person is coming out to a relative or friend who is particularly conservative, religious, or close-minded.

In fact, 58.6% of Black LGBTQ+ youth have experienced some form of rejection from their parents versus 56.5% of Black LGBTQ+ youth who receive support from their parents¹. This seems to carry over into adulthood as 49% of Black LGBTQ+ adults have strained relationships with their parents².

I was one of those who was rejected. Not fun! My coming out was tough, but I made it through somehow. My coming out story is a long one, so I’ve broken it up into two parts. When I post the second half, I’ll let you know. Promise!

Care to share?

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¹ ”2024 Black LGBTQ+ Youth Report”, Human Rights Campaign

² Tat Bellamy-Walker, “How the Black queer community is re-imagining the family tree”, NBC News