“I came out to my mom during a panic attack,” shared Jude Goodman, 21-year-old art major and president of the Spectrum Club. “I wrote her a letter and gave it to her.”
October 11 marks National Coming Out day. While this isn’t the only time to come out, National Coming Out Day holds an air of pride. The day is there to remind the LGBT community that their sexuality matters and feeling safe enough to come out is important.
Goodman had come out a total of three times. First as bisexual, then as a lesbian, and this third time as transgender.
“It’s okay to not know what you are [right away],” he explains, “sexuality and gender are fluid.”
Goodman spent a majority of his youth feeling depressed and anxious, always believing that the feeling of misplacement was caused by the bullies that brought him down. It wasn’t until his freshman year of high school that he began to question his sexuality.
“I saw a video of two girls, it wasn’t sexual or anything, just a vlog of these lesbian YouTubers going about their lives, and I thought, ‘okay, maybe I’m not straight’.”
It was this simple exposure that showed Goodman that he simply wasn’t straight. Exposure like this often sparks curiosity in confused people and leads them on a journey to discover their sexuality.
Immediately after coming out, Jude Goodman felt anxious and uncertain. He kept waking up scared and confused.
“After coming out, you may feel uncertainty,” he informs, “so it’s okay to not be sure.”
The LGBT community has hidden in the shadows for a long time. It wasn’t until recent years that many people really felt safe enough to come out. There has been a lot of progress within the past years, especially with legalizing gay marriage.
Therefore what does coming out mean to the LGBT community?
“It’s cheesy but [it’s sharing] the better version of myself,” he laughs. “It’s the most authentic person.”
Coming out is a very scary and intimate thing as there is always fear of rejection.
Being accepting and understanding of those who come out is key. A huge part of coming out is having a safe space where you feel you will be accepted.
As Sam, a 19-year-old who chose to remain anonymous for this article shared, [“When someone comes out] it doesn’t change who they are as a person and you shouldn’t regard them any differently.”
Coming out isn’t becoming a new person, it’s further expressing yourself. It’s alright to ask questions after someone comes out, as long as you’re respecting the other person and their wishes.
Allies are people who are accepting of the LGBT community and work to help make the world a more equal place for all.
Jacob, 19, an ally that chose to remain anonymous, poses the question, “Are you gonna let [society] decide how you view a person when you already know [the type of] person [they are]?”
Sexuality is part of who you are, and you need to take time to discover yourself. Coming out to the world can be liberating and it feels good to not have to hide.
Sam offers as advice to those who are on the fence about coming out.”I would say that as long as there’s no serious consequences for coming out, go ahead so you can be you, openly.”
More and more exposure of people sharing their sexuality has caused the atmosphere to be more accepting.
“It’s time to come out of the closet,” as Goodman said.
“[The LGBT community] is not going anywhere”
