My coming out story (kind of)

EDIT 11/2/17: I've been thinking about this old post of mine.

When I wrote it, I was attempting to make a point about being a vocal ally, and trying to get the attention of other straight folks by using an attention-grabbing headline. Eight years later, I think the title of this post comes off as pretty insensitive to the fact that of course this is not my story, but the story of someone who experienced actual strife from grappling with their identity. I'm not deleting the post, because it's what I wrote and I'm not trying to erase that. But I did want to come back here and point out that framing this as my story was probably not cool. Sorry about that. I will try to do better.

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Years ago, back when I was just knee-high to a Bachelor of Arts degree, I came home from college for the weekend. On that Sunday morning, I went to church, and after the service a boy I knew from youth group came up to me. He asked me if I remembered a debate we'd had on a retreat in high school - something about whether gay people can have faith.

I didn't remember that conversation, but I knew what I must have said: something along the lines of, "OF COURSE you can be gay and still have your faith, because you're still a person, and it's just a part of who you are - not a sin, not a turning away from God." Apparently, this boy had taken the opposite view.

So I don't remember the original conversation, but I remember that day in the church, when this boy, who had always been sullen and awkward and now looked happy and confident, like he finally belonged in the world, smiled at me and said, "Well, you were right." And he came out to me, there in the church aisle.

Today is National Coming Out Day, and not being gay doesn't mean you can't "come out" as an ally. You might not find out until later how much it means to someone.