I've decided that this year, I'm going to start coming out, but the thought still scares me. I've thought about it in the past, every couple of years since my early twenties, but this is the first time I've acted on it. Even if so far it's mostly in my head, and now a little bit online. Other times, I've been reluctant to even post anonymously online, so this is progress. For the past couple of weeks, I've basically been coming out to myself in my head, working on convincing myself that coming out is something I can do, that while it will make some things harder, it will give me a chance to have meet and date people I'm actually interested in, and could have a real relationship with. How have you overcome the fear of coming out, and how long has it taken you?
I overcame my fear when hiding it was more painful than admitting it. It took me only about a month to come out to close friends, and a few months of pain and worry to come out to my parents. Telling them was a much bigger deal to me.
Been hiding all my life, still scared finding excuses. I have been slowly trying to leak things out. Hiding stinks but seems like blasting the people I know could stink more....misery loves company! Here to talk if you want..
Telling my parents and other older relatives is definitely more of a worry for me than my friends and family who are my own age. My parents won't be happy. I'm not worried about straight up rejection, but I hope that they are just disappointed in me over it, because any other reaction I can imagine would be worse. My brothers are among the people whose reactions I'm not at all worried about, as are most of my close friends. What's probably going to motivate me to tell my parents is that I don't want my brothers to have to keep secrets for me.
I haven't overcome the fear yet -- it still makes me uncomfortable to use the 'G' word to describe myself in my head, even though, uh, if you tally the proverbial notches on the bed posts, the evidence is pretty clear. You're ahead of me if you are comfortable self-labeling. :-/
Really all I have is a handful of folks most of who will pass soon. I will more than likly take the coward way and wait ....lol... Still looking forward to hormone therapy then surgery......
