Happy Pride, my LGBTQ babes and allies!!! It's my favorite time of year, not only because of the wonderful celebrations and positive energy spearheaded by the LGBTQ community, but because of the inspirational coming-out stories we hear from people of all ages.
I've written posts about LGBTQ adults coming out later in life, and in one of the posts, there was a comment that really, really moved me.
Community user ImBatMom2 shared her daughter's amazing coming-out story: "My daughter was 10 when she told my husband and me that she was bisexual. Even though we've always been an LGBTQ-supportive family, she was still terrified to tell us. She was worried that we would tell her she's too young to know who she is, that we'd treat her differently and be disappointed in her. I couldn't be more proud of her — it was the first time in a long time she was finally herself. We saw the weight being lifted off her shoulders — she was so free and happy after that. I love that she feels comfortable enough to tell us Zendaya is her ultimate crush. She's the best kid in the world, and I'm so honored to be her mom."
This moving story made me want to ask you, dear reader: If you came out when you were young or if you're a parent of an LGBTQ kid, what's your coming-out story?
There's no right or wrong time to come out as LGBTQ, and every kid's experience is different. It's important to honor every queer person's journey, especially those who are young, and what works best for them.
We love celebrating the coming-out experience and believe the kiddos of the LGBTQ community deserve to have their voices heard! So, if you came out at a young age or if you're a parent of an LGBTQ kid, share your coming-out stories with us in the comments below (or fill them out in this Google Form if you want to remain anonymous).
Some submissions will be featured in a BuzzFeed Community post! 🌈
Looking for more ways to get involved? Check out all of BuzzFeed's posts celebrating Pride 2022.
