“So how old were you when you came out?”
It’s a question I get time after time after time from people who are curious. I get it, not everyone is gay. A large amount of the population have never had to come out, unlike me.
And I kind of like these conversations. In fact, I really like them. Not because I get to talk about myself (although, come on, we all like that). But instead because this is where I personally think the real progress is made. Not in marching through pride parades sporting our most glittery numbers, although that does have its place.
No, instead I think these conversations – the ones where you really get to try and make someone better understand your experience – that’s where real empathy comes from. Not just in regards to sexuality, but with everything in life.
While I was working as a journalist at the BBC, I came up with an idea for a video series. I wanted to make something where people could try to explain their own experiences in their own words, as a way of helping other people understand what that thing is like.
The second video in the series was about coming out. True, it’s not reflective of everyone’s experience, how could it ever be?
But, just in case I haven’t had the conversation with you about my own coming out, I’m just going to leave this here so you can get an idea of what it’s like not just for me, but other members of the LGBTQ+ community too.