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October 11, 2006
Happy Coming Out Day!!!
Coming out is a difficult process, whether you are coming out as gay, lesbian, transgender or anything that is perceived as different from society's norms. In my own experience, it was a long and difficult process filled with self doubt about my own self worth, knowledge that I was something that many people perceived as being wrong and fear that my family and friends would not be able to love me the way that I really was.
Fortunately, I was wrong. I have a loving and accepting family, and what I think to be the greatest friends in the world. To this day I can look at coming out as a positive experience for me that has helped me grow and become a better person.
Not everyone is as lucky as I am. Many people face confusion, anger, and some even outward hositility from their familes and friends upon revealing that they are "different". These people are faced with not only a major change in how they see themselves, but also with a sense of abandonment and loss from those that were closest to them. I cannot imagine how painful that must be, and selfishly am glad that my experience was a positive one.
So what is my reason for writing about this? Well, number one it is so say a big THANK YOU to my family and most of all my friends, who have always been there for me and continue to be there for me. Thank you for including me in your lives, and thank you for not treating me differently than anyone else. People often don't realize how difficult it can be to live under the mantle of being the "different one" all the time. So for your friendship I truly thank you.
Secondly, If you know anyone out there in the world going through this period of adjustment in their life, offer them your support, in any way you feel capable of doing so. Even just a kind word or making someone feel included can make a world of difference to someone who feels excluded from our society and from those who consider themselves "normal".
I hope I have let you know how much you all mean to me, and I hope someone who I don't know reads what I have written today and feels some sense of comfort or enlightenment from my words.
Posted by ahuckle at October 11, 2006 11:45 AM
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