Although
I have never “come out” before, due to being a heterosexual female, I’d imagine
doing it at 13 has to be just as difficult as coming out as an adult, maybe
even harder. At 13, it is the awkward-teenager stage. I know that personally,
like others I assume, I was adjusting to my body, which was going through the
craziest changes and I was learning exactly how to “be a girl,” which, for the guys out there, is just as difficult as it sounds. During the times of heartbreaks and
misunderstandings as a middle-schooler, the people I relied on most of all were
my friends. Friends are supposed to be there for you during all of your ups and
downs and the hardest times in your life, because, that’s what friends are for,
right?
I
read recently online that a girl had posted screenshots of her 13-year-old
brother coming out to his “bro.” Understandably, you can see in the messages
how nervous and uncertain he is, about telling his bro, about his feelings for
other boys, about his life. However, the way his bro handles it: totally
bro-tastic.
In a world full of misunderstanding
adults it is truly amazing to see a teenager step up to the
plate and support his friend in his obvious time of need. How crucial it was
for the boy coming out to be supported in the one person it is so imminent that
he relied on the most is truly spectacular. Having gone through the teen stages
before, I don’t know if I could have or would have trusted someone enough to
tell them such a huge secret. I would be fearful of losing a friend or having people judge me.
With
the last line of his “coming out text” being “I don’t want you to think I’m
weird or just leave or anything” it is so clear that he is reaching out to his
friend with the hope that he will still be there for him, even though he may be different. And why wouldn’t he? “Who the fuck cares what people are going to
say.” Clearly, this kid is a lifelong friend. It is truly relieving to stumble
upon this on the Internet and see a true fear and personal secret from one
person be totally 100% supported by the other. If only everybody could be as understanding
as this bro, the world would be a much more accepting place. Because, when it
truly comes down to it, ain’t nothing
wrong with being the gay friend.
Amen to that! I am really excited by the fact that we live in a world where more and more being gay is accepted. We have a long way to go for sure, but it certainly has improved.
ReplyDeleteTelevision has worked a lot in recent years to show characters or personas who are gay and in relationships so as to normalize it. Honey-Maid ads have shown commercials with gay parents, but casually, so as to say "this is just as normal as any other family." Modern Family-- though at times is stereotypical of a gay couple-- shows a gay couple in a funny, good natured way. These are characters we come to love and ACCEPT. And would ya look at that, they are gay!
I think this is an awesome post! I saw those texts on my Twitter timeline the other night and they're perfect examples for your point. I'm glad we, as a generation, are slightly straying away from the "he's gay, he must like me" notion and just accepting it as it is.
ReplyDeleteIt's also important to always let your friends know that you will always be there for them because you never know who might not be.