Many of the stories the LGBTQ Families Speak Out team have collected over the years feature families and youth speaking about the challenges and celebrations of coming out. In recognition of #ComingOutDay we are profiling Kiran, who speaks about the nuances of coming out as a person of colour in their community.
Kiran speaks in depth about their realization that they do not have to come out right away and that they do not owe an explanation of their identity to anyone. Kiran talks about how “coming out” has to be safe and feel right for an individual, rather than forcing yourself to explain before you are ready.
When we talk about coming out, we must recognize that it is a deeply personal choice and not one everyone makes. That decision may change throughout a person's life, but their decision must be respected. People may choose to disclose their identities for many reasons if they felt safe and supported, but it’s important for educators to understand that often youth, especially youth of colour, transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary people do not feel this way. What educators can do is provide a safe, welcoming and supportive community for all youth to celebrate themselves without assumptions or judgements, regardless of where they are in their journey of self-recognition.
You can watch more stories featuring LGBTQ Families speaking about coming out here: www.lgbtqfamiliesspeakout.ca/videos/category/coming-out
Kiran speaks in depth about their realization that they do not have to come out right away and that they do not owe an explanation of their identity to anyone. Kiran talks about how “coming out” has to be safe and feel right for an individual, rather than forcing yourself to explain before you are ready.
When we talk about coming out, we must recognize that it is a deeply personal choice and not one everyone makes. That decision may change throughout a person's life, but their decision must be respected. People may choose to disclose their identities for many reasons if they felt safe and supported, but it’s important for educators to understand that often youth, especially youth of colour, transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary people do not feel this way. What educators can do is provide a safe, welcoming and supportive community for all youth to celebrate themselves without assumptions or judgements, regardless of where they are in their journey of self-recognition.
You can watch more stories featuring LGBTQ Families speaking about coming out here: www.lgbtqfamiliesspeakout.ca/videos/category/coming-out
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