Hey LGBTQ+ Pandas, In Honor Of Pride Month, How Did You Come Out? (Closed)

I met my dad for the first time since I was little when I was 15, and I went to live with him to escape a bad situation with no idea what he'd be like. My mom had called ahead to tell him all sorts of "bad" (mostly inaccurate) things about me, that I was into partying and drugs, that I was super promiscuous, etc.

My dad was driving me back to the airport and tried to tackle these subjects, then got to the promiscuity bit, and tried to give me some sort of safe sex talk, and boys think like this or that talk. It was excruciatingly awkward and I finally just shouted, "OMG no, just stop! I'm gay! A lesbian! There are no boys!"

My dad yanked his steering wheel over, crossed 4 lanes of traffic, hopped out of the truck, and did the snoopy dance on the side of the road. Then he got back in the truck and told me it was the happiest day of his life.

It's been 20 years and he was always my staunchest supporter. When I came out as trans/non binary recently, he took it in stride like I knew he would. He didn't have the vocab for it, but he'd been using masculine and feminine pronouns and descriptions for me interchangeably ever since he first took me shopping when I was 15 and I bought only boys clothes and underwear, then promptly went home and cut off most of my hair.

Everyone else in my life looked/looks at me and sees who they expect or want to see, but he always just saw *me*.

I simply brought my girlfriend home and introduced her as such. Then took her to my room and closed the door. That was it.

I actually told my mom i was attracted to "everyone pretty" when i was like six and she was basically "cool."

By the way i'm pan

LOL! I realized I was gay onstage at an improv show when the logical next thing to say in the scene was "...because I'm in love with you!" In the next second, I realized 1) I *was* in love with her (2) I couldn't say that line because then everyone would know & (3) came up with another line that made sense but was lame.

I talked to her about it, realized she also like me and we started going out. It made it easy to come out to my friends and family by introducing her as my girlfriend.

Soon, I did standup for Queer Women Night and it was listed in the paper as such with our names. I and my friends found it funny. The venue's owner put this in his act with my blessing with the tagline "Well, I guess I'm out."

However, my workplace was an intolerant bro club. I got tired of hearing stupid stereotypes being thrown around. I started wearing a pride flag pin on my jacket and referred to my girlfriend as others would talk about their spouses and partners.

I did this to bust lesbian stereotypes both in and out of the gay community. I have long hair (reaction to a hated pixie cut when I was 6) and don't look like a stereotype. By being out, I gave people the choice of choosing the stereotype or choosing what they knew of me as a person. I loved watching the "Wait..what? You're gay?" reaction as their cherished stereotypes were busted.

I now refer to my wife in business meetings as others do their spouses and partners. It is a awesome change from where the world was when I realized I was gay onstage.

I bought a rainbow scarf from a street vendor on a middle school trip. I'd made a mental note to hide it from my mom when I got back, because I was worried about what she'd say. I happily wore the scarf during the trip, but hid it in my pocket before my mom picked me up. At home, though, I forgot about the scarf and put my pants in the hamper, scarf inside. The next day, I found the scarf neatly folded on my bed, in the shape of a heart. That was how I knew she was ok with it. I love my mom :)

i havent yet come out, just wanted to wish everyone happy pride!!🌈🏳‍🌈

my dad found out i had a gf and told me to break up with her. Then sat and lectured me abt how it was wrong. I hope all you pandas have a great coming-out and never experience mine!

I came out in 1983 at 12 years old, at the beginning of the AIDS crisis and when the social stigma & bigotry was rampant. I was much more lucky than most, because I grew up in San Francisco in Eureka Valley, which the Castro is part of. Most of our neighbors were m/m couples and I had about 50 “uncles” or family friends. My mother was a charge nurse for the AIDS ward. Because of union rules & lack of understanding of the disease, nurses to custodians had to volunteer and couldn’t be made to. My brothers, friends and other shops it’s employees families took care of the cleaning of the ward (think huge room with 100 beds separated by curtains) and visiting with patients. Several we knew from ‘hood.

I didn’t come fro ma conservative family or environment, but no one wished or reveled on me coming out because the immediate fears were AIDS & “fåg-bashing.” My naive understanding at the time of what “gay” meant was all stereotype. Queens & drag queens & clones. I somehow didn’t equate my attraction to other boys as gay or queer. I just thought I liked buys and I never hid it. I had a boyfriend and we were glued to each other’s side. About a year into our relationship we were at a skate park and some girls were chatting us up. I was clueless, but my bf knew they were hitting on us. He said, “you know we’re gay, right?” and it rang/echoed in my head. It was a cathartic moment for me to realize my attraction solely to guys and my relationship was what “gay” meant and what I was. Not the tank tops and short shorts or the campy attitude I knew from so many.

I had a massive paradigm shift that destroyed my aloofness and realized so very much that I seemed to overlook about myself & my community.

That night, all 12 of us were camped out in the family room eating pizza and watching tv. My 5 brothers, each of their best friends and my two sisters (who were actually my friends and lived with us because of family issues) and I asked my folks to join us. I said I had to make a big announcement.

I stood up and said, “just so you all know. I’m gay and Jason is my boyfriend.”

Pretty much everyone responded with joking laughs or “duh.” I said, “so wait, you all know?” & my 8yo brother said, “Hello! We live with you.”

My stepfather pondered whether we’d ever openly talked about it. He assumed we had. It was obvious. A given. While my mother was happy I felt ok to say it, but mostly that I was being less introverted and quiet about myself.

I know how privilege, blessed and lucky I was. Because SF has been a Mecca for queer kids for decades. In the 80s, LGBTQ+ homeless youth were everywhere and I made friends with plenty. My parents had a foster license because of their jobs and they adopted one of my brothers. During my teens we had 11 queer foster siblings, three which lived with us to adulthood & are part of our family.

I’ve sat witness to the horrors and abuse so many queer youth has to escape. I’ve seen the suicide ideation. The self-medication. The self-harm or reckless behavior. The lack of resources, agency, access.

I had it easy.
These kids, the ones before them & the ones before them are the shoulders that todays queer youth stand on. They’re the ones that first fought to survive and fought for visibility, representation & inclusion. You know, the fight we still have to fight today.

I was actually outed by someone in middle school as bi. I later came out as Pan like a year later. Whatever you do DONT OUT SOMEONE!!!!!!!!! People find other gay people and say "she goes both ways. You guys should date" it sucks don't it. Please? Happy pride and sorry for the sad story. Also, MAKE MORE PRIDE FLAG EMOJIS!!!!!!!!!!

I wrote a letter telling my parents that I am pansexual. It worked out surprisingly well!
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ happy pride!

A little background...my Mum died when I was young and there just wasn't much in the way of childcare in the early 70's. So school nights I would live with an Aunt, weekends my Dad, so he could work. We always had a big family lunch on Sundays. So I figured it was the perfect time to come out, y'no do it just the once to the whole family. I kinda stuttered that I was going to move in with my girlfriend, because, you know, she's more than a friend. My Dad put down his knife and fork and looked straight at me and then said pass the potato's love. I was dumbfounded, I assumed he must not have heard me. I started to repeat myself when he interupted and said, do you need anything, furniture, white goods, bed? Never actually said he was fine with it, just found a way to show he was fine with it. My Dad folks, was a fine man, GRHS.

I straight up ( pun intended)told my mom out of the blue that I was bi. She said good for you and told me to get back to my homework.

I only told my parents about a year ago that I'm bisexual, having some boyfriends and dates in the past. I just never felt right, a lot of my life choices were disapproved by (some) of my family.

A lot of my friends knew already for years actually.

But now here I am, 37 years old, bisexual, currently in a polyamoric relationship with 2 nice ladies. Proudly being myself, wearing my neon nail polish daily.

I don't want it to be a secret anymore, my parents reacted indifferent I think, it was not clear. They are both bad in communication and having autism prevents me from reading their body language correctly.

Happy pride month all!

snapped one day and sent a google doc to my entire family and all the staff at my school coming out as trans

I texted them I was a lesbian... And they still ask if I have a bf... T-T

I put a sign on my bedroom door that said I was bisexual and asexual. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 Happy pride!!

I told my mom while we were making dinner that I'm nonbinary and pan. She joked its alright as long as if I'm not going to marry a lizard... cause it will be difficult to find a wedding dress for one lmao 🤣

I let "He" slip out when talking about a date I had around my Father, I usually say "She", My Father said "WHAT!" I now live happily with my Husband on the other side of the country.

I sort of got addicted to the men's underwear catalog with all the hot men, and I thought, "I want someone like them when I marry". That's how I figured out I was gay.
I came out when I had fallen in love with my best friend, but they seemed to have already known that.
Note: I've gotten over being in love with my best friend.

I had been begging for a short haircut. My dad told me that if I cut my hair like that people might think I'm trans. Then he asked me if a was trans. I knew they were transphobic but I thought maybe they'd support me since I'm their kid so I said yes. BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. My parents were so mad. They told me I didn't know what I was talking about, faking it for attention, I can't change my gender because it's "basic biology", and even threatened to send me to a private Catholic school to "fix me." Scared me right back into the closet. I have an amazing group of supportive friends though and I'm cutting off contact with my parents as soon as I turn 18. I still don't have a haircut I like either :(