Coming Out

Telling Family and Friends

Ed was sent to a religious treatment camp when he first told his family he was gay. When Sarah recognized she was a lesbian, she found support from a gay teacher in her high school. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres announced her sexual orientation on national television, and internationally-recognized musician Ricky Martin told the world he was gay on his website. For each individual, the experience of coming out and openly acknowledging oneself as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender is very different. And it can take a lifetime. Share the personal coming-out experiences of these and other lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to find out more about this complicated and exciting process. Learn about organizations such as gay-straight student alliances and Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), which provide support to people whose loved ones are coming out. Find out what you can do to help make someone's coming out a positive, happy, and healthy experience.