Hey everyone! My name is Dougie and I'm new here, I am 18 and a gay male. I've been out for about a year now, and everyone - including my parents- have been 100% supportive so I am very fortunate in that respect. However, this is not the first time I came out, I've known forever that I'm gay and I actually came out when I was 12. Me and my big mouth told all my friends etc and all was fine. However, a year after that I went to boarding school in another town about two hours away and I was so frightened about all these new people finding out who I was that I went back in the closet. Luckily, I was able to keep it quiet until I was ready but there were some encounters that saw my new friends stick up for me and tell people from my hometown that I was straight. I also told many people from my hometown that I was straight which was not true. Now that I am out I feel pretty ridiculous about it all and I am going to university this year where there will be people from my hometown who knew I was gay but I told them I wasn't and my new friends as well. Should I really worry about this? Or is this just a small hiccup that can be talked over. I like to think that it's not actually a big issue in comparison with many other people's stories. Thanks a lot guys!(!)
Welcome to EC! You'll find lots of friendly, helpful people here. I wouldn't worry much about friends from home raising your being in or out when you get to university. Usually people are busy getting settled in their new routines and starting a new journey in life to dwell on what happened back home, especially something that doesn't directly impact them. Just be yourself! On the odd chance someone asks or raises the issue, just explain how you were not comfortable coming out to strangers at the boarding school. That's all just part of growing through our teenage years, whether you're gay or straight.
You're certainly welcome, you have your whole life ahead of you and worrying about stupid crap from kids who don't know any more than you do (usually less, I'd argue if they're so concerned about your orientation) is just wasted energy. Life will probably throw you some harder knocks along the way; the only people who live completely charmed lives are found on the pages in a novel or on a movie screen. When I find myself getting frustrated with people's stupidity and ignorance, once I get myself settled down, I look at the situation differently and find myself almost feeling sorry for them in a way... imagine going through life the way they do... if ignorance is bliss, as the saying goes, there must be a whole lot of bliss in the world! :icon_bigg
