40+ Coming Out Stories That Prove It’s Never Too Late to Live Your Best Life

Coming out is a big milestone in a queer person’s life and it can mark a point when they feel comfortable and safe enough to have their identity in the open or even just with the people they come out to. Sadly, not every coming-out story is easy but these stories prove it’s never too late to live your life the way you want to!

Sometimes, it can be having a partner or someone you’re interested in that pushes people to come out. After all, that’s a big part of someone’s life to keep hidden.

This person was talking to someone on Skype when they decided to come out to their mom. The good news was that not only did this mom already have an inkling of what was coming but was supportive as well. She assured them that if nothing else in life, they should be happy without feeling bad about it.

When coming out, it can be stressful to deal with a huge reaction. This is especially true in cases where that big reaction might not always be positive.

In this case, this person apparently didn’t have to worry about catching anyone off-guard. Not to mention, since their brother came out first, they said that it made things easier. In the end, they said that it was all pretty boring but they wouldn’t trade a thing about it.

There are times that our loved ones realize things about us before we learn about those traits ourselves. Sometimes, an outside perspective is just what it takes to put the details together.

This person said that when they came out, it was after their family had approached them about it before. Still, like anything else in life, this person had to take the time to come to their own conclusions about their identity. However, as a result, they came out to a round of applause.

The environment you grow up in can affect you a lot. For instance, if you grow up in an environment where you can’t necessarily express yourself, it might lead you to stay in the closet for a while.

That’s what this person did. Yet, later on in life, they took the time to reconcile their beliefs with their identity, despite what they were previously told, and even consulted a therapist. Coming out at 31, they were met with open arms and shared that the experience made them brave.

There are a lot of reasons that someone might hesitate before coming out to their parents. In the end, having the support of the person you’re coming out to is the best end result.

When this person came out to their mom, she’d pulled them aside to ask them about it. Over the course of the conversation, they told their mom not only were they gay but that they had a boyfriend as well. It was a productive conversation but they said they probably should have expected that!

As we’ve said, sometimes the people close to you can predict big news as it comes. Again, though, that doesn’t make coming out any less of a milestone.

When this person came out to their mom, naturally, they were nervous. The great news was that their mom wasn’t anything short of supportive. In fact, they basically told them that they’d seen the announcement coming, acknowledging that they’d learned a lot about themselves leading up to coming out.

Having an accepting environment for being queer means a lot. After all, it directly indicates how the people around the person coming out are likely to react.

This person described their church as being open to and accepting of their queer members. As such, it was at a function at the church that someone mistook them for identifying as queer. When they got home, they tried it out and ended up coming out shortly after, changing their life for the better.

There are times that coming out doesn’t mean a big speech or explanation. For some relationships, a joking approach is just the thing for coming out.

When it came to these two siblings, this person decided a meme would do the trick. While they waited anxiously for the reply, they probably didn’t expect a simple “same.” While they called it a waste of adrenaline, they also note that it was a pretty funny moment.

There are times that someone might not identify with a certain label because they simply don’t know about it. That’s the story that this person told.

It wasn’t until they were in their thirties that their friend’s younger brother mentioned that they were asexual. Surprised by the term, they asked about it, only to learn that it actually sounded pretty familiar! While they weren’t out at the time of writing this, they had supportive people in their life and they’ll come out when they’re ready.

Coming out to your friends can be nerve-wracking. After all, nobody wants to lose their friends, especially just for being themselves, and it’s a hefty sense of anxiety to carry.

When this person told their best friend, it was so emotional that they were brought to tears. Their best friend didn’t miss a beat and made sure the night was just the same as any other. After a shared pizza, they enjoyed some movies and fell asleep, just like before.

There are situations in which being queer isn’t something you discover about yourself later on. There are some people who have known their whole lives, even if they didn’t publicly claim a label.

As for this person, they always knew they were part of the LGBTQ+ community and came out as bisexual, to a warm welcome from their boyfriend, in college. Later on in life, they learned that they came out again after they divorced their then-husband and later married a woman.

Siblings tend to have relationships like no one else. So, when a big announcement like a coming out comes up, it might not culminate in a huge, emotional moment.

While this person was getting ready to come out to their sisters, they were all spending time at the pool. Not only did their sisters take it well, they immediately made it known that nothing was different. It seems pretty on-brand for many siblings to follow this up with a request for pizza.

There’s support in listening acceptingly as your child starts to ask themselves questions about their identity. For this person, they were only 13 when they first questioned their sexuality.

Eventually, they told their parents in a pretty honest fashion. They explained that they thought they were bisexual but wanted to keep their options open until they’d tried kissing both someone of the same or opposite gender. These parents just offered a supportive comment before carrying on as normal.

Coming out on Facebook has its pros and cons. For one, you have the chance to make a single, widespread announcement. On the other hand, you might have to wait to see some reactions.

As for this person, they started with a Facebook announcement. Upon seeing their brother later, they confirmed that he’d seen the post. His reaction was about as wholesome as possible too, not only accepting his sibling but boasting his love for his wife as well.

If there’s one thing that most people equate with dads, it’s puns. You might not think that would come into play for a coming out story but you’d be wrong.

Many people find it hard to tell their parents big news, especially something as potentially anxiety-inducing as coming out to them. This person took a straightforward approach that didn’t leave any room for misunderstanding. In response, their dad saw it as a chance to deploy a dad joke to lighten the mood.

When you’re considering coming out, it can be hard to choose the right moment to share this news with the people you love. Sometimes, the concept comes up when it comes up.

This person shared their friend’s story online. When they were teenagers, he was in an accident. While everyone was fine, it did come with a lot of damage to the car. In the middle of an argument about it, they came out. In the end, it all worked out!

There are times when a reliable outside perspective to talk to is a mental health professional. In this person’s case, they were seeing a counselor that they came out to.

They described that a regular part of their sessions was introducing media they could relate to. One day, this included the trailer for the movie, Love, Simon. In return, their counselor asked them if they identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community and supported them after they confirmed so.

By the time this person came out, the people they came out to weren’t quite surprised. In fact, they were just waiting for them to come out.

When this person told their best friend, they described their reaction as a relief. Apparently, they’d suspected that their close friend was in the closet and was really close to urging them to come to terms with their sexuality. It’s probably best that they got to come out on their own terms.

Many people wait to come out, even after they know how they identify themselves. This can be for a lot of reasons and for this person, it was partially a fear of how their parents would react.

In the end, they decided that they’d come out with flair. For Christmas, they gifted their parents a lesbian pride flag with a coming-out message right across the stripes. As soon as they saw it, they were overwhelmingly accepting, wrapping their child in a hug and letting them know how much they loved them.

Having positive role models that you can see yourself in when you’re young is incredibly meaningful. This person didn’t have lesbian role models to look up to growing up.

As a result, they said they didn’t really realize they were queer until they were in their twenties. It wasn’t until they were 29 they realized they were a lesbian. When they finally faced their fears and came out to their mom, they were pleasantly surprised with her immediate acceptance.

This story came from someone sharing it only hours after the event. During a Skype call just before posting this, they’d come out to their family as bisexual.

More specifically, they brought it up during a conversation in which they also shared that they were taking steps to improve their mental health as well. While they were caught off-guard for a second, they were fine with it and mostly worried about their depression.

Many people decide to come out to their close friends before their family. It makes sense that siblings on good terms would turn to each other quickly too.

They started with their older brother only for them to surprise each other by both coming out over the course of the conversation! As for their younger brother, he was just pleased to have another person to relate to in a way. Overall, it sounds like it went well!

This person didn’t come out earlier for no reason other than it just didn’t come up. With a decade-long marriage to their husband, it simply never came up.

It wasn’t until later that they came out as bisexual to everyone for a good reason. They were upset that there were people who would think poorly of them if they did end up in a same-gender relationship. So, they made sure everyone knew and want everyone to know that everybody deserves acceptance.

This friend’s reaction may have been incidental but they definitely broke the tension in the conversation. All they did was facetiously suggest that they were coming out.

What their friend didn’t know was that they were actually right on the money. It even made this person laugh so much that although their friend was apologetic for making light of it, they were grateful that it made the subject so much easier to approach.

Unbeknownst to this person, their sister had come out to their parents only a week before them. As such, their parents were surprised at first.

To make the situation even more surprising, their mom even thought that they were joking at first. That was until their dad cut in to point out that this wasn’t just a lighthearted crack – they were really coming out to their parents. It’s good to know that, in the end, they were accepting.

There’s nothing quite like a game where family members spill their secrets to one another. This person definitely wasn’t planning on using the game to come out.

They were getting ready to say something else when their mom cut in and asked them if they were gay. Rather than deflecting, they simply used that moment to answer honestly. Looking back, they realize that with their mom’s helicopter mom tendencies, it was likely she found out from looking through their things.

This person decided it was time to come out when their family was flying in for graduation. They were doing it as a heads up since they’d be meeting their girlfriend that weekend too.

Their mom’s reaction was pretty wholesome too! Only the day after they learned about their child and their girlfriend, they ran to the local queer bookstore. They even tried to buy a bumper sticker before realizing that they weren’t sure the audience for the sticker in question.

There are few icebreaker games that have the same results as Two Truths and a Lie. It’s a game where you can add any truth about yourself that you want, after all.

As for this person, they used a round of this game to come out to their roommates and a few mutual friends. To make things even better, they simply used the screenshot of that exchange to come out later. We can’t blame them for even naming this tactic!

This is another story that comes from someone telling it shortly after the events occurred. They’d only come out to their parents that very day!

They shared that while their mom was surprised, they weren’t quite surprised because they sensed an important conversation coming. In all, they said the experience was relaxed and while it took some time to adjust, their parents accepted them and loved them unconditionally.

This person shared that while they recognized their gender identity when they were 16, they weren’t ready to come out yet. They wouldn’t do that until much later.

It was after the birth of their son and finishing their Master’s degree that they realized that they were ready to come out. They described their actual coming out to their wife as one of the hardest things they’d done but in the end, they stayed together and haven’t looked back since transitioning publicly.

Like many people, this person says that they can’t sum up their experience coming out to everyone in one story. After all, many people don’t simply make a bulk announcement to everyone.

As such, this person decided to focus their story on coming out to their friends in high school. They decided the best way to do it was all at once – they just sent the announcement in their group chat. Everyone responded with overwhelming support and they accepted him just as before at school.

Before this person came out, their dad already started to suspect something was going on. Even if they didn’t know what, they saw something weighing on their child’s mind.

So, they invited them out for a walk to give them a chance to talk privately if that’s what they wanted. Over the course of the conversation, they came out as bisexual to their father’s outpour of support. All in all, it was a productive and honest conversation.

Some people decide to come out when it feels right. As for this person, that was while they were out shopping with their mom and sister.

It was as simple as showing them their pride pin rather than telling them outright in so many words. While their sister didn’t quite catch on right away, their mother left the question open. They explained they were bisexual and the shopping went on like normal – they even got a t-shirt out of it!

In certain situations, a little bit of humor can go a long way. That’s the approach this person took in coming out to their adoptive father.

They even went the extra mile to get him a funny t-shirt to make the announcement with. He opened it and revealed that he’d been waiting for this announcement for quite a while and he happily wore the shirt around town. Most of the responses to it were positive as well!

For this story, the person telling it isn’t actually the person coming out. Instead, it’s the story of a person whose mother came out to them.

After a major surgery their father underwent, she mentioned she’d never be with another man again. While they were quick to agree, their mother quickly amended that this didn’t mean there wasn’t someone out there for her, just not a man. As it turned out, this was her way of letting them know she’s bisexual.

As for this person, they took the chance to come out right before moving out of their parents’ house to go to college. Before leaving, they explained they were bisexual.

They went on to say that their parents are awesome and it shows. The announcement was met with overwhelming support including hugging them and reassuring them that their love for them hadn’t changed. It’s exactly what this person expected and that’s pretty amazing.

There comes a point where someone might not feel the need to come out. If someone asks, they’re happy to tell them without much fanfare.

The only problem for this person was that no one really asked, even though they’d been ready to discuss it for a few months. It wasn’t until they saw a poster for Coming Out Day in their school that they decided they would bring it up themselves. Afterward, no one treated them any different.

As many have said over the years, this person shared that they didn’t quite know what label they would give themselves. However, they definitely know they aren’t straight.

Because of this, they aren’t completely out to everyone they know. So, they shared the specific instance of telling their parents. While their mom took it well, their father didn’t really respond. However, that worked just fine for this person who thought the response worked well for the situation.

One night over dinner with their parents, this person decided to approach the topic of coming out. Explaining to their parents that they were bisexual, the reaction was pretty positive.

While their mom was a little confused at first, she was ultimately happy for them. As for their dad, he was clear that he’d been expecting a coming out at some point. At the end of the day, both parents were even happier knowing how happy their child was to come out to them.

By the time this person was 21, they were finally ready to come out to themselves. This is usually the first step in coming out to others later on.

When they decided they wanted to come out, they did it by sharing that they had a date with a man. Their parents were accepting of the news although they had a feeling their parents might be given that they had gay uncles as well. They closed out by acknowledging how lucky this made them.

Coming out is a memorable moment and it seems impossible that someone would forget something like that. Still, it happens from time to time.

This person experienced that in coming out to their mom. The good news was that right from the start, their mom was completely happy with it and supportive. On the bright side, they noted that her reaction the first time made it much easier to talk about when they reminded her years later.

Coming out can come with a lot of planning. Like this person, many people want to take the time to get their coming out right before they commit.

For all their buildup, though, this person received a response that they weren’t expecting. Their father actually wasn’t surprised and even had been expecting it. As it turned out, they reminded him a lot of his brother who was gay. It quickly became a meaningful moment to recall their late uncle.

A straightforward approach can sometimes be helpful any telling someone news, including coming out. That’s the route that the person in this coming-out story took.

They didn’t beat around the bush with any preface either. They just walked up to their mom and told them outright that they were gay. In an equally blunt manner, their mom let them know that they’d been aware for quite some time – since they were only 12, in fact.

To finish off, we have a story about a parent and child who really saw eye-to-eye when they came out. After all, it was apparently a fairly relatable feeling.

We have to wonder if this person ever expected to come out to their mom only to have her come out to them as well. That’s exactly what happened, though. After telling her that they were bisexual, it was no problem and the mom even said that they were bisexual too!

Learning about yourself and your identity can be a lifelong journey. Not everyone has all the answers as soon as they reach adulthood and many don’t!

This person described a long journey of discovering themselves from their time as a child to how they felt as an adult. It was the prompting of their boyfriend when they were 43 for them to realize that they identified as bi-gender. They went on to describe how grateful they were to him and how it was helping them learn to be themselves.