I’ve never felt a desire to define my sexuality. Labels such as bisexual, lesbian, straight, gay, questioning or queer have never felt right. Growing up with parents, friends and other family members that both publicly and privately belong to the LGBTQ+ community, I’ve seen the freedom that occurs upon coming out. But, I’ve seen the pitfalls as well.
Read moreThe metaphor of “coming out of the closet” derives itself from the idiom “skeleton in the closet.” A “skeleton” refers to a negative secret that one wants to hide from others. Due to the stigmatization that came — and still comes — with not being straight or cis-gendered, one’s LGBTQ+ identity would be seen as a “skeleton.” And since people are generally assumed to be heterosexual and cisgender, someone would have to explicitly disclose otherwise to the people around them. To many LGBTQ+ members, coming out is a way of celebrating their sexuality or gender identity and reclaiming what was formerly a negative identity marker into a more positive one.
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