It’s official. My younger sister is a lesbian, too–and I’m just not sure how to feel about it.
Ever since I came out at age 16, my family has always been supportive of me–and I knew they would be, so I never felt any pressure to hide anything. I know I’ve been lucky to have so much love and support, and I know that my sister can expect the same love and support from me and the rest of our family.
So why did she wait so long to come out of the closet?
You’d think that after seeing me come out and how accepting everyone was, my sister would have felt safe coming out to us–or at least to me.
Apparently, we thought wrong. She says that even after she knew she was gay (at least a couple years ago), she didn’t want to come out because she didn’t want to upset anyone or cause stress to the family. She’s 19 years old, and just now coming out to the rest of us.
This got me thinking: Why do so many people choose to stay in the closet? Even in a time where it’s become widely accepted?
Of course there are the standard reasons: unaccepting families, conservative belief systems, religious persecution, etc., but what are some of the reasons that may be overlooked?
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You're gay?! 