This week, I just wanted to take a moment to thank and show my appreciation for my family and friends who so graciously received my recent coming out as bisexual. I can honestly say that I have received nothing but love and support, and I am so incredibly grateful for that. I am thankful that I felt that I could come out and receive support from those who matter, for I know there are thousands across the country, and many close to home, who can not feel the same.

I urge you to always make it clear that your presence is a safe space for family and friends to be who they truly are, especially in a time such as now with such great dissension throughout the country concerning LGBTQA+ rights. The absolute least one can do to be an ally is to let others know that they will be accepted no matter their sexual orientation. This is especially concerning most of my family and friends, as many of you live in rural areas known to be less tolerant of the LGBTQA+ community. There are many who feel they cannot come out are for fear of being judged, ridiculed or even punished by family members.

I also wanted to offer a an explanation. I understand that a few members of my family were shocked, and even worried about me, thinking that my coming out seemed sudden and rather spontaneous. They were entirely within their rights to feel this way, because my coming out was exactly that: sudden and spontaneous. I didn’t wake up that morning knowing I was going to do it, I had actually not planned on telling anyone outside of some selective friends until I had a significant other who wasn’t…everyone’s expected gender. I had planned to break it to my family slowly, and allow them to make their own decision about whether or not they wanted to meet my new significant other.

However, things did not really work out the way they planned. I found out a few days before my official “coming out” that some important family members of mine had found out via word of mouth from one of the selected few I chose to tell. While I could have been very upset for being outed without my permission, I decided to just ride the wave through and not mention that I knew I was outed. Another large factor in me not being angry was because the family members who found out received it very well, and were very accepting.

But still, there was one important family member left who I was not so sure would be as accepting. However, through a talk consisting of some oddly specific hypothetical situations, I learned that I had been worried for nothing. This was when I knew that nearly all of my family did not mind my being bisexual, as long as I was doing what would make me happy.

Now, as nearly every one of my immediate family members and friends knew, be it whether or not I intended them to know, I decided I may as well come out to everyone. So, sitting in a University of Nebraska Lincoln dining hall I composed a short facebook post that I thought would concise, yet meaningful. I tried to make it lighthearted and funny, while also addressing some serious points I feel very strongly about. In case anyone has not seen this post, here it is:

“Hey internet friends! How's it going. Not great? Yeah me either. Well I just have something real quick to say, it'll just take a moment. I don't care who you voted for, I really don't. I made my decision and I did what I could to ensure my beliefs and hopes for the future were well represented, and I surely hope you did the same. I will not say, "if you voted for Trump then delete me!" While many people may find that necessary, (and are rightly justified to feel that way) I don't. We can remain friends! However, I do need to address something. I'm bisexual! How neat is that? It's very neat. Now, to some of you this may come as a shock, and others, not so much. Many of you probably haven't even read this far! That's fine too.

Now, don't fret, I assure you that me liking girls as well as boys will not negatively impact your life in any way, shape, or form! However if you're still worried about it, feel free to unfriend me. Also, if you support any of the following things endorsed by our current U.S. President, go ahead and give that unfriend button a little click as well:

Overruling marriage equality

Legalizing discrimination against lgbtqa+ people (FADA)

Submitting unwilling people to conversion therapy

Or anything else that infringes upon the rights of those in the lgbtqa+ community.

That’s all! Thanks, bi!”

So, that is a short explanation of why I did it the way I did. I hope this clears up any talk or misconceptions about my coming out. Finally, I’d like to clarify that coming out was decision I made, but being bisexual isn’t. This is just a part of who I am, and it’s something I’ve known for a long time. However, the fact that I kept this a secret does not mean that I kept any other part of me a secret. I am exactly who I have always been, and who I will continue to be regardless of who I end up with in the long run.