In middle school, I knew who I was, but I was scared. I was scared to be different than everyone else. I was scared that no one would ever love me again. I was scared of being myself. I did not know if it was okay to be me or not.
Eventually, I came out of the closet that I had been in for so long. I came out as bisexual first. Yes, my sexuality does change a lot. At first, I told a so-called “friend” about my sexuality, and I did not think she would tell anyone else. I thought wrong. I had people coming up to me and asking if I was bisexual. I went into an emotional spiral due to that.
I thought all my friends would see me differently, but they did not! They supported me and encouraged me to be myself. I slowly started to be more confident in who I am.
That is when I experienced pushback from people. Now, it was not towards me, but I started to see that people in TV shows bully the queer kids and treat them badly. I started to think about just saying that I am straight, so I did not get bullied. I started to stay quiet and be reserved. I was embarrassed by who I was. Eventually, I did become confident in my true self.
“I want back the years I worried about my own authenticity. Turns out, confidently being yourself makes you a source of strength for other people.”-Everett Maroon
This quote is how I feel about the past when I came out. I was hiding my true self, which mattered the most. I wish I could have been more confident with my identity, so that I could be that source of strength for those who need it. Looking back at my story, I want to be an advocate for those who are scared of or cannot speak up for themselves.
I am confident with my identity. I do not care about what people say or think about my identity. So confident that I have come out as non-binary and pansexual. I am a proud E-Board member of the club called Spectrum at St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York. I will forever and always be confident and proud of my true self.
“There’s no right or wrong way to be gay. No right or wrong way to come out. It’s your journey. Do it the way you wanna do it.” — Tan France