Hey all, I feel I am ready to come out. I am genderfluid and I have told a couple friends and all of whom fully accept and support me but my family is religious and quite judgmental. And then I have other good friends whom Idk their stance on anything like this so Idk what to do or how. Any suggestions?
I don't know from your posting or profile if you are still living with your parents, or otherwise depend on them for financial security and stability. If you do, it might be worth holding off telling them, just so the worst case scenario doesn't become reality. If/when you are in a secure position and able to take care of yourself and your own affairs that might be the best time to talk to them. You are doing the right thing in building up a support network now. These are the people you can turn to, if all goes wrong with your parents. You may need their support. As far as your other friends are concerned, is there any way you could initiate a conversation with them to find out their stance?
I currently live with my father and step mum due to financial instability and also with the fact I am starting university studies shortly. As for coming out to my family, my bio mother, step mum and father are covered and they were the least of my worries. It's just my grandparents, aunts, and uncles about whom I have concern because they are religious and judgmental of this sort of thing. (When I told them all I was of Wiccan faith in the place of Christian I got bashed for two hours straight on Thanksgiving, for instance). My friends, it's just a matter of me coming up with a way to tell them but I also don't want to just call them and be "Hey, by the way..." so I would like to tell them in person; but the ones with whom I'd like to have that opportunity live a distance away and I haven't access to a vehicle most times to get to them.
My simple rule of thumb is that you come out to anyone who will support you, love you, make things better; and you don't come out to anyone who will hurt you. And if you're not sure, it depends on how much they can hurt you. In your case, with religious and possibly homophobic extended family members on whom you are not dependent financially, you have some flexibility. You survived the Wiccan bashing, so you might also survive the gay bashing, if you think that there is some good that might come of it.
