Nineteen Fifty-Six Vol. 3 Issue 1

MADISON CARMOUCHE
COMING OUT IN MY OWN WAY
Most people have an image of what they think
a gay person looks like, but in all honesty,
there isn’t a “look” to it. While being gay
has become a lot more accepted in American society over
the past 20 years, there is still a lot to be done for the
community. I recently came out as a lesbian, something
I have been holding close to me for a long time because,
like many others, I feared peoples’ perceptions of me
changing. One of the many things people said to me was,
“I would’ve never guessed that” or “You don’t look gay,
you’re so hot!” But what does gay look like, and what does
being hot have to do with it?
Everyone has their personal opinions on gay people, their
rights, and their relationships, but those perceptions may
impact how they react when finding out someone close
to them is gay. Being authentically yourself is one of the
hardest things someone can do, but the relief that comes
along with it is indescribable. I have known for about two
years that I am attracted to women, but I was not ready to
be authentically me yet.
I think something that really helped me to be myself is
my circle of friends that I have found over the last year.
They are extremely supportive as well as my family and
once I realized if the people in my corner are on my side,
who cares what everyone else is thinking? Now that I have
come out, I feel nothing but love and support from everyone
around me. I received so many encouraging messages
since the day I posted about my sexuality. The first time
I tried to come out to someone, I was not met with the
support that I am receiving now. I think that really set me
back on my path of loving who I am. But no matter what
other people say, don’t let that stop you from accepting
who you are and loving whomever you love!
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