Moderated by
Jennifer Patterson, LMFT
Art Therapist
Life can be messy. Sometimes you need a little support to make your way through it. I love to help guide people through their challenges & to find the beauty in our messes.
Top Rated Answers
Not at all! The only person who needs to know who you are is you! Come out to people who you are comfortable around, and for the rest, who cares? They don't need to know!
You don't. It is well within your right to come out to whoever you want, especially if you live in a country where LGTBA people are heavily discriminated agaisnt. All reasons are valid for not coming out, from "I'm afraid I'll get beaten up" to "I just don't feel like telling them". You're not and shouldn't be forced to disclose any information about yourself. Besides, it's their fault for assuming you're not LGTBA in the first place :)
I don't believe that you have to come out to everyone. Coming out should be your personal choice and if you choose not to tell somebody, that is your choice. I like to personally come out to everyone because I am very comfortable with it and I feel like people should no who I really am.
You absolutely do not have to come out to everyone. Coming out is a very personal choice that is up to you. It’s important to remember that people you trust are safe bets when coming out, and they should also be people who are both close to you and comfortable with accepting you for you. Like other personal information, you may not be comfortable with sharing the details of your coming out online. That’s perfectly fine. Some people would like everyone to know that they are a certain gender/identity or orientation, others would not. Ultimately, if it is in a safe situation and feels right to you, go ahead and come out. I hope this helps!
No, not necessarily. Who you come out to is a decision that is entirely up to you. It's your personal choice to decide whether you want everyone to know, or just some people, be it your friends, your family or whoever you want. There's nothing wrong about not wanting everyone to know, there can be many reasons for it, and you're not obliged to say it if you don't want to, since it is something that concerns yourself and you don't owe this information to anyone. The choices about coming out are the most personal, and should be totally free.
I think that can be a personal choice. Choosing to come out to your professional colleagues or your personal social circle depends on the individual. You can choose to be as open or as private about your life as you are comfortable with. There is no right or wrong answer.
No, you don't! You only have to come out when you want it, and not everyone has to know your sexual orientation.
Anonymous
April 10th, 2015 1:04am
Not everyone, only if you want to. If you feel like you want to come out to everyone then do! Only if you feel safe in your area however. But there's nothing wrong with not telling everyone, keeping it to family and friends is perfectly fine!
No. Everyone does not need to know. Come out to only those that you are comfortable with and that you personally trust.
Certainly not! You are not responsible for explaining your own private life and preferences to the world! And not everyone needs to know anyway. You are free to pick and choose who you want to come out to! It's all about your level of comfort!
No, Of course not! Come out to the people you want to come out to. Come out only when you're ready. Come out at your own pace. Do whatever is comfortable for you ^.^ you are very brave for considering coming out!
Anonymous
February 24th, 2015 11:01am
No, you do not have to come out to everyone. In fact, you don't need to come out to anyone. If you so not ready, it might not be the right time for you to come out. Coming out is not easy and it is really terrifying at first. Once you start telling people, it will get easier. You can't come out to everyone in one day. You will be coming out for the rest of your life to new people. If you don't trust someone or you feel that the person you want to tell will put you in any danger for coming out, maybe it is best not to tell that person.
Anonymous
March 11th, 2015 4:14pm
You don't have to come out to anyone you don't want to. You only have to come out to people you're comfortable with knowing and you want to know.
Of course not! It took me ages to come out to my parents because I did find it less important for them to know than for my friends. It is your choice who to tell and you can let the whole world know if you want (internet might be the most effective way :p).
No, you don't have to come out to everyone. Only you get to choose who you come out to, how you come out to that person, when you come out to that person, and where you come out to that person.
No - you don't have to justify your sexuality to everyone. It's none of their business. Do straight people have to come out as straight? Just go on living your life. Tell the people in your life who you feel need to know, or who you think you need to tell, and then go on living as you should. : ) Coming out to everyone is unnecessary. Nowadays a lot of people do it on social media, but it's totally up to you. Do whatever you are comfortable doing. Ultimately, it doesn't matter. Be yourself! Best of luck, I know this time is challenging.
No, not at all. It's completely up to you who to come out to or not come out to. I would suggest only coming out to people you feel comfortable with and know will be accepting of your sexual orientation, at least to start with.
Of course you don't. You don't have to do anything that will make you feel uncomfortable or vulnerable. Your sexuality is your business, and the people you share that with is up to you.
I don't think you HAVE to. I mean, I did to my friends and my grandmother but never anyone else.
You definitely don't have to come out to everyone. Its a personal decision and if you don't want to, are not comfortable, or if its not safe those are all valid reasons to not come out to everyone. Coming out can be a great thing for me it helps me live more genuinely as the person I am and share that truth with those I care about. But there are still people in my life that I am not out to. That is my personal decision and it should be respected.
Anonymous
April 25th, 2015 11:33pm
No not if you don't feel like it. Take your time and do it how you want it to. Its only you who can make that decion
Anonymous
April 16th, 2015 11:55pm
No, you don't You're gender and sexuality is your own business. Once you're able to accept yourself and come out to those closest to you, nothing else really matters.
"Coming out" to anyone is your own personal choice. You absolutely don't have to reveal everything about yourself to anyone that you happen to come across. Choose the people you're comfortable with and choose what you're comfortable sharing. You're life is your own, make it truly yours.
Coming out to whoever you want to totally up to you. You should never let any pressure for you to or not to come out. Once you decide what your sexuality is, then the next step is figuring out who you want to come out to. If you are scared to tell everybody and would rather just tell the people you trust, thats fine!
Nope! It's not really necessary to tell anyone, really. You can only tell people you deem worthy of knowing, if that's how you'd like to do it. I've only told my closest friends. No family, co-workers, bosses, etc. Coming out is a constant and tiring thing to do, anyway.
You never have to come out if you don't want to. It's a personal choice and it's entirely up to you who to come out to and when.
I know coming out is a huge deal for some, but I find it to be a very private matter for me. I don't think I've ever felt the need to have a formal conversation explaining the type of people I am attracted to. I'd say it's a highly individual experience and there is no right or wrong way to go about it!
Coming out is a very personal choice. Some members of the LGBTQ+ community choose to be out publicly, while others choose to share that part of themselves only with people the love and trust. I understand that you might feel the pressure to be out, but the choice is yours alone and if you are not ready or comfortable, it is perfectly valid to keep your LGBTQ+ identity personal. In no way are you required to come out to everyone as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. It is a personal decision to come out to anybody. I hope this helped you and you can feel more at ease. Feel free to chat with me!
Of course not! Coming out is something that you get to do in your own time. You can tell as many or as few people as you would like. For me when i came out I let my family know first, then close friends, and I shared it with most of the people I know. I am Happy to share that information with anyone that asks. That is a major piece of being out is being willing to let everyone know. However, everyone can know in your own time. If you want to talk more about coming out issues feel free to send me a request!
You only have to come out to people you're comfortable with when you feel like you're ready to do it. There is no pressure, go at your own pace.
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