Coming Out What is Coming Out?

Coming out" stands for Coming out of the closet.
In the past, American homosexuals used the metaphor of "hiding in the closet" to describe their distress at not being discovered by the world.
The term is derived from the analogy of hiding one's true self in a dark and cramped closet and then coming out of the closet to release one's true self.
It is now used by non-LGBTQ+ people to confess serious secrets.

The Difficulty of LGBTQ+ Coming Out

For LGBTQ+ people, coming out is a cautious process due to prejudice, discrimination, and persecution.
It is said that an estimated 30% of people are coming out, but it is not certain.
The reality is that transgender people, in particular, are easily recognized and harmed at a glance because they take on the appearance of another gender.
In some cases, even parents and children cannot accept the fact that they are transgender, such as when I came out to my parents in the countryside, they cut me off and told me never to come back because of the neighbors' eyes on me.
The reality is that even parents and children, who are supposed to be the best allies, have difficulties, and when it comes to strangers, we have to be even more cautious.
Coming out to be happy is not possible without preparation, courage, and the understanding and cooperation of those around you.

How to come out and be happy

There are a number of ways to come out.
It depends on your own sexuality, whether you are transgender, homosexual, or X-gender, and also on your social position, such as student, non-regular employee, or civil servant.
It varies from region to region, such as depopulated areas with small populations and urban areas where you don't even know the faces of the people living next door.
Now that we know many examples of coming out experiences, let's take our time and think about it.

The most important thing in coming out

No matter how carefully you prepare and do your best to come out, the other person has feelings and cannot be forced to do so.
In some cases, though, it is readily accepted,What do you do when you fail?"Be sure to be prepared and have specific measures in mind.
Without the confidence to succeed, one cannot "come out" because of anxiety, but a challenge without assuming and preparing for the risk is a gamble and a reckless action.
When boarding a boat, you should first make sure you know where to put your life vest and how to wear it in case of emergency, and the same goes for "coming out".
Plan countermeasures in case of coming out failures.
Be prepared to change jobs and have the financial resources to do so, in case the company becomes too difficult to work for and you feel like you are losing your mind.
Make friends in other groups that will not be affected in case you lose touch with the group or friends you came out to.
Be prepared for lots of other mistakes!

Coming out in the open?

Who are you coming out to, a specific person or group of people, such as parents, best friends, friends, part-timers, workmates, or even a small acquaintance, and from whom?
There is no right answer or rule, but coming out to someone who is also a sexual minority is recommended.
If you are not familiar with them, you may want to join the LGBTQ+ community.

Parents and close friends can be powerful allies if they agree with you, but on the other hand, they may strongly oppose you because they care about you.
Parents, especially when they have high expectations and deep affection, are surprisingly more complicated than those who want to understand the most, such as "I can't see my grandchildren's faces," "I'm worried and opposed to having surgery," and "I'm sorry I gave birth to such a sex.

On the other hand, acquaintances who are only slightly acquainted with each other tend to be less responsive, both for and against, because they have less influence and emotion.
It is also an opportunity to get used to the flow of the conversation and reactions when coming out.
If they reject us and we never see each other again, won't that cause us both a lot of grief and have little impact on each other?
In any case, there is no set rule, so please think carefully and not hastily.

If you are interested in coming out, please click here.

Interested in how to accept and lean into coming out.