Coming Out is an important process that is different for everyone; some experiences are difficult to hear while others are heart-warming and inspiring. Nevertheless, coming out is never easy and we can often draw inspiration from others and their stories. Below is a small collection of UCI students who have come out of the closet and were willing to share their stories.
If you are in the process of coming out and would like some guidance, the Counseling Center offers the LGBT Mentor Program which pairs up students who are new to coming out and those who have already walked in those footsteps.
Are you already out? Do you have a coming out story and want to share it? We are always looking for a diverse group of queer students to share their personal journeys as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Ally individuals. We encourage you to submit your coming out story because people will be able to relate in some way and that might make their coming out process easier. You can submit it completely anonymous. Please email it to the professional staff at the LGBTRC.
Story 1
Sometimes, help comes in the most unexpected places. After my coming out experience, I became eternally grateful for the amount of support and empathy that was given to me by both my friends and my family….(continued)
Story 2
“I guess there are different types of relationships,” he said.
“Yes, there are so many different relationships,” I responded.
We parted ways and I walked toward the bus stop, wondering when the next route 79 will come. It was 8:10 PM and I discovered the next stop at the University Center will be at 8:17 PM. So I waited….(continued)
Story 3
Throughout my childhood I was a tomboy. I didn’t own Barbies nor did I host tea parties. Most of my time was spent outside, running, playing basketball, riding bikes- all with the neighborhood boys. During my elementary school years I gathered a reputation for being both very athletic and somewhat competitive. I never really had much of a desire to hang out with the girls, mostly because I was very active and enjoyed playing sports, which was not something that the girls usually did….(continued)
Story 4
Coming out as an LGBT Ally has been an extensive learning process. As the heterosexual female who works at the LGBT resource center, I constantly receive the look, a quick vertical scan, followed by a step back, narrowing of the eyes, and finally silence. Apparently, this is the process to determine another’s sexual orientation. Initially, I was terrified of strangers and friends classifying me within a wrong category…(continued)
Story 5
My story begins when I was five and I was taken to my first ballet class. Even though my mother had to drag me there, I suddenly had found myself in a place where I didn’t feel like I would be judged for not being like the other boys and wanting to play their stupid games…(continued)
Story 6
As a queer, white, able-bodied male, feminist and first generation college student, my identity has afforded me many privileges and many challenges. However, it is through my marginalized identity as a queer individual that I have been inspired to become an activist and advocate for social justice…(continued)
Story 7
I was raised in an extremely open-minded and liberal family. As a child, I remember never having any problem with anyone over any facet of their identity, be it their race, their class, their gender, or their sexual orientation. So when my brother came out to me when I was 15, I was shocked that I didn’t show him the full support I would have shown anyone else. …(continued)
Story 8
Growing up my family was really gay friendly. I had two gay uncles and everyone was accepting of them. When I was in fifth grade my mom told me that she would love me no matter who I loved…(continued)
Story 9
Coming out ended up being a fairly complicated process for me. As my friends started discussing crushes and maneuvering for kisses, all I felt was a vague confusion. I didn’t see anything to get excited about. As I went through high school, watching people pair off, hearing rumors about who was sleeping with who, I felt alienated…(continued)
Story 10
All throughout my life I had struggled to find my identity and be true to myself. I had also always had a low-self esteem. It has been about three months since I decided to finally be true to myself and to acknowledge that what I was feeling was exactly the right thing. I had always been afraid of others knowing that I was attracted to women…(continued)
Story 11
When I think of myself, I don’t consider such aspects as gender or who I wanted to bone—such shallow considerations, quite frankly, aren’t even things I think about most days. When I think of myself, I list the following: I draw, I write and I watch a gratuitous amount of Japanese Cartoons…(continued)