My Story
Closeted
I was about 17 when I knew I was bi. I felt comfortable enough to tell 2 of my friends but was terrified of judgement that I didn't tell anyone else. I thought that if I came out, people would look at me and treat me differently.
I was petrified of judgement.
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Because of this, I didn't tell other people apart from my 2 friends, instead, I thought it was safer and easier to go back into the closet, so that's exactly what I did. Looking back now, it was probably the worst thing I could've done, but it felt like the safest option.
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I stayed closeted for 8 years.
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I pushed every thought, question and feeling about being bi to the side during this time. I didn't want to think about it, so I just brushed it under the carpet and pretended I was straight when I knew deep down I wasn't.
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All because I was petrified of what other people would think of me and how I would be perceived.
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Coming out
I came out in 2022. During the year, I had a massive shift in mentality, self-improvement and various other factors that caused me to come out.
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I started my self-improvement journey in January 2022, I joined a book club in February of that year and Heartstopper came out which I watched and I went to Pride that year too.
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Joining a book club was a massive shift as I read self-improvement books. I wasn't questioning myself again at this point but the community of the book club really helped me accept myself.
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Heartstopper and Pride had the most impact on my coming out. I felt so supported when I went to Pride and I felt like I could just be myself, I felt like I belonged there. It was amazing.
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After I went to Pride, I watched Heartstopper again and started re-questioning myself. I joined some Facebook groups about it and told my story in those groups too. I got used to the idea of being bi.
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I was accepting of who I was and the fear of judgement began to melt away a little.
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I came out to my immediate family and some friends too.
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Being out
Now, I feel more myself since coming out. I'm in the best of places, in every way and I feel like I can 100% be myself.
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I feel ready to share my story and to be able to talk about coming out and bisexuality. The more I work on myself the easier it's got to talk about it, be open about it and to no longer care what others think.
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Don't get me wrong, I struggle with coming out to strangers still but over time, I'm hoping it'll become easier.
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