Staying In vs. Coming Out

I have no beautiful words to share or anything to make the pressing issue of coming out an easier one. I have nothing to offer but the advice I have been given and continue to follow in protection of myself.

It is very much okay to stay in. It is very much okay to find safety in the proverbial closet. Staying in, is in itself, sometimes needed for survival. It is okay to keep your sexuality/lack thereof, gender/lack thereof, tucked away and safe within your chest.

Coming out has been romanticized. The idea that you will be able to feel comfortable enough to open up and share parts of yourself that are very much yours. The romantic idea tells us that we will be accepted with open arms, pastel toned parties, and acceptance. It have come to such an extent where those within the queer community feel they must come out to their family and friends just to be accepted by the queer community as a whole.

But closets are safe spaces. In a society where those who are queer face violence, ridicule, shunning, and ignorance, it’s very much okay to stay safe. It is okay to wallow in the silent darkness surrounded by you. The one important factor. You are who you are in that darkness. You are comfortable in your skin, even if you’re comfortable alone.

In a day where everyone is told to come out, I’d like to remind you that is very okay to stay in.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>