We all have very different stories relating to this, so lets here them!

When I was 17 I met a gay woman, my first ever. I was in a relationship with my 'highschool sweetheart', a boy my parents loved (perhaps more than me) from next door.
I was on a working holiday with some friends from school (that christmas break thing) and working in pizza hut (class). We all met this woman, and freaked out a little that she was gay, though I was very curious, I mean, I came from a small country town, and this sort of thing was very different...

Anyway, she asked me out for a drink (she was 24, I was 17, the drinking age was 20) and so I grabbed my fake ID (which claimed I was a 25 year old drama student from Sydney) my fake Australian accent (this was all in NZ) and headed out.
One of the first things I said as we sat down was ""So, I hear we have something in common..im gay too." (I was 17..and not a pick up artist)To this day, I have NO idea where it came from. She didnt eactle help matters when he response was "Yeah, I know."

It was like everything feel into place. My intense friendships with a couple of girls in school, my kissing girls at parties, my addiction to "Heavenly Creatures.." Telling my bestfriend was hard.. so I told her I thought I may be bi.. she responed with "No you arent, you are gay.. ive known for years."Why the hell didnt anyone tell me!!?

Anyway, the rest of this story isnt as nice as the start. My parents found out and almost disowned me, (great in the last year of school) my father stopped speaking to me for a year,and made it very awkward at the breakfast table. My friends and most of my school avoided me (gay is a nasty thing to catch).. the long and the short of it is that eventhough that year was hard.. I got through it, and now im happy. Yay.

The funniest reaction of all the people I told was my friend who lived in Australia. It went like this..

Me: So.. I have met someone..
Her: OOooo.. whats his name?
Me: Er, Charlotte..
Herh..The poor guy to have a girls name!

Seriously.

Um...I guess I have a few with different people. I've told the one about my twin, the one about mom Eledie and summer, and the one with Ben.
The first one was my best friend though. I moved from Montreal to Vancouver, very confused, very lonely, and really depressed. Then I met mark. He's the gayest straight guy you will EVER meet (we're talking gayer than Hugh jackman and just as straight. Seriously, I still can't believe he's straight.) mark got around a public highschool decked out in his trademark rainbow converses, a rainbow belt, and either a cap or sash around his head that was, you guessed it, rainbow. And sometimes he wore rainbow wristbands. Everything about him was BRIGHT. his favourite pants are neon orange skinny jeans. Anyways, he caught me staring at him one lunchtime (I never had a crush on him, I was just like why the fuck is he so popular and never gets beat up, when all the other out kids sat in a corner of the cafeteria getting spit bombed. And when he sits with them, they don't get spit bombed).
He came over to me smiled and said "hiiiiiiii I'm mark. Marky mark to most. Youre Charlie right ? The one with the sister. That's cool!! Everyone wonders what they'd look like as a different gender and you just have to look at your sis!!!!" and he talked and talked and talked and made me laugh til I cried. Anyway, we became inseparable besties and went everywhere together. Then we had a science project and I went to his house for the first time. His mom was in the kitchen cooking and he introduced us. His dad was cleaning the living room. Normal nuclear family, right? Until this other woman walked in, said "hey Jake, (his dad) hey marky, who's this?" we got introduced then his mom walked out and said "baby! You're home, how was work?" and gave her a big kiss. I think my eyes popped out of my head. I was like "WTF is this a crazy Mormon polygamist household????" then from the back yard another guy walked in, Dale. And his dad gave the guy a kiss. I was like WTF!!!! Once again. I literally have never been more confused in my life. Then mark saw my expression and explained - his parents had married in a mutually agreed reuse to keeps their parents happy and because they wanted kids. They had Dale and Georgina as "tennants" when in fact they were each of their respective "real" partners. In 2005 when gay marriage was legalised, they divorced each other (citing, as a personal joke "irreconcilable differences" and married Dale and Georgina respectively. My mind=blown. I sort of choked and stuttered staring at his dad "y-your like me". I didn't even know what I'd said. Then I fainted. When I woke up mark says he knew I was gay from the moment he saw me and knew I'd never tell anyone. And he wanted to show me that being gay was normal and I wasn't weird. His house became my refuge, where I could be myself totally and I didn't have to worry about dad saying that I looked like a fairy, or that I was a girl...I just got to be me.

I remember telling my best friend in high school that I "might" be bi. Her response? "I'm not surprised." HOW DO THESE PEOPLE KNOW????

When I rang my ex-husband to tell him I'd met someone he said, 'boy or girl?'

Charlieee! Your story is amazing. I was completely, deeply captivated.

"Y-you're like me"

;~~~~~~~~~~~;

Oh that is so sweet aurari! Well you wonderful peole know my coming out story I came out on same same and you all helped me to tell my husband and kids and I can't that you enough

I'm still to take the leap of telling my family, although all of my friends know and it's not something I hide in my social circle. It's fear that's holding me back from coming out to my family, especially when I'm still living at home with my parents. Not that they'd ever kick me out onto the street, but I feel it would make things so uncomfortable I couldn't live there anymore.

I'd actually do things a bit different if I could do it over again... for starters, I wouldn't tell my best friend by text message... looking back, I would've sat her down and talked to her face to face. She was fantastic though, and called me to ask me if I was ok and to reassure me that she and her husband both love me no matter what.


Meri

Hi Merianna thats tough but its good you have decent friends. You will know when the time is right it will just happen. Dont fuss about it and dont push yourself you will do it when you are ready. Good luck

These are all such amazing stories.

I don't really have one yet... but I will!

You will get there Bella

I do hope so! Life will be very dull otherwise!

You will be fine honey just give yourself time.

Time is boring. I don't want to spend my life waiting to 'know'. Clearly I have cognitive problems. Perhaps a lobotomy is the only way to fix things...

naah a bit drastic that one. Cheer up lovey

bella, if you need a cheap lobotomy, I have a selection of crochet hooks
xDD

Quote:

Originally Posted by aurrai

Charlieee! Your story is amazing. I was completely, deeply captivated.

"Y-you're like me"

;~~~~~~~~~~~;

Aww thank you. To this day Dale, Jake, Georgina and Ellen, and of course mark, are just about my favourite people ever.

Present company excluded, of course.

Quote:

Originally Posted by faeriegoddess

bella, if you need a cheap lobotomy, I have a selection of crochet hooks
xDD

This comment scares me. *hides*. Please don't attack my brain with crochet hooks, I WANT TO LIVE!

=O

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bella6

This comment scares me. *hides*. Please don't attack my brain with crochet hooks, I WANT TO LIVE!

=O

aw sweetie, consenting adults only. for those who don't want crochet-hook lobotomies, I have home made organic chocolate liqueur truffles.


I wonder why no one ever wants brain surgery?

Well brain surgery may seem a tad radical faerie

Quote:

Originally Posted by faeriegoddess

aw sweetie, consenting adults only. for those who don't want crochet-hook lobotomies, I have home made orgasmic chocolate liqueur truffles.

Just fixed your comment, Faerie

Quote:

Originally Posted by faeriegoddess

aw sweetie, consenting adults only. for those who don't want crochet-hook lobotomies, I have home made organic chocolate liqueur truffles.


I wonder why no one ever wants brain surgery?

YUMMY! That sounds much better than home administered brain surgery...

I have a few, but the first (and scariest) was to all my school friends. I was 16 and we'd all just finished our exams and were having an end of school party. I decided this would be a great moment to reveal to everyone because there would be alcohol for dutch courage and if it all went horribly wrong then i would never have to see them again anyway! So i got rather drunk and just grabbed my friend who actually didn't turn out to be gay and kissed her really full on in the middle of the room. Then people were asking and i was just honest and it was actually fine.

My most ridiculous coming out story however was to my grandmother. One of my straight guy friends was at my house (i lived with my grandparents) wearing a tshirt that said "nobody knows i'm a lesbian" and he spilled something down it so i put it in the wash not thinking anything of it. My nan washed it and returned it to me saying "well you're secrets out now but i knew anyway" and i thought well that made that easy!! And she's a complete gossip so told everyone else and made it very easy for me!

Sounds cool Teapot

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sazzles

Sounds cool Teapot

Yeah i'm really lucky. I've not really had a bad reaction from anyone, well not anyone important like friends or family.

Thats really great and positive to hear.