In light of the events on Sunday at the Pulse Nightclub, many people have been turning to the Internet to show their solidarity with the LGBTQ community. The people affected were celebrating Pride Month and finding salvation and peace in the club. That has been taken from them in the most devastating mass shooting in United States history. This is a hate crime like no other and there needs to be some good in this world.
People have been going on Twitter to show their pride and to even come out! With the trending topic #gaysbreaktheinternet, people are showing that the LGBTQ community is more visible than ever.
Gracie came out on June 12th and by the amount of likes (3.2K), it's clear she is getting a ton of support. She was nervous to come out, as made evident by her tweet. But she was courageous and brave for coming out in such a public and unapologetic way.
Stand-up comedian Lane Moore posted this tweet a few days after Gracie. This tweet evokes a different feeling than the previous one. Moore comes out in a nonchalant way, making a joke out of it. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to come out, and Moore did what she's best at: make jokes.
With Islamophobia and homophobia at an all time high after the shooting, this Twitter user decided to break stereotypes. She shows that being Muslim and gay can go hand in hand. She writes her religion and sexuality as a part of her, something that many people are not apt to do.
Mara Wilson, star of "Matilda" and "Mrs. Doubtfire" recently came out. In a later tweet, she corrected Twitter users and said that she was bisexual. For a celebrity to come out is a big deal in our world today, especially one that has been a part of our childhood. She came out by implication, then later declaration. There is no truly perfect way of coming out, as long as the person is consenting and doing it of their own will, that is all that matters.
Then there's me, choosing to come out through an article. Most of my friends and some of my family know that I'm bisexual, but it's not complete public knowledge yet. I am shaking and my heart is racing as I am typing this. I have known that I liked multiple genders for years, but it wasn't until the past few years where I've put a term to the feeling.
With so many people in our world today trying to force the LGBTQ community back in the closet, it's time that the community becomes more visible than ever. Coming out and being proud of who you are is a political statement in itself. It is a statement that says "I am not what this society expects me to be, and I am okay with that."
Coming out doesn't have to be sitting down at the dinner table and confessing or a drunken night with friends. Coming out should be simple, even non-existent. Yet this is one of the hardest things that I have ever done, and I am happy and finally awake. I have grown tired of hiding and always keeping track of who knows and who doesn't know. Because you see, coming out isn't just a one-time declaration, even though this seems like one right now. Coming out is constant: every time you meet someone new or you talk to someone, there is always this anxiety of should I tell them? am I safe to? will they be mad? do they already know? who told them? There is this constant anxiety of being outed, whether to family, friends, coworkers, or bosses.
Though most people reading this already know this about me. But it doesn't matter, because finally, I am taking control of my sexuality and I am able to confidently put it out there. 49 people died in Orlando because of who they love and a question that crossed my mind repeatedly was What if some of those people were not out? What if families first heard of their son/daughter's sexuality when they got the phone call that they died? My heart broke for them, along with everyone who was affected. Myself, and all the people in the #gaysbreaktheinternet trending topic refuse to be silenced. We are visible, we are real, and we are strong.
