Coming out as gay may seem like an everyday occurrence now. But nope. Still a big deal. Here's why.
Let's walk through what it was like for Ingrid Nilsen.
The emotional confession at the end of this piece may not seem like a huge issue for some. But it's still crucial for people to see and share it. Here's why.
People come out as gay every day, it may seem. Some people might think we should all be over it by now.
GIF from "Supernatural."
But being openly gay is a relatively recent concept and some people still struggle with it.
When I say "struggle," I mean they deeply, deeply doubt themselves through very important formative years. They try all kinds of ways to not be gay (which of course doesn't work) because being gay in this society still is not a bed of roses, and they are afraid of the repercussions in their lives.
Sometimes they make it through that questioning phase, like Ingrid did. But other times they don't.
Suicide is a very real outcome for many who struggle to accept their own sexual and gender identity.
Stats from the Center for Disease Control.
Or other times they go an entire lifetime never being true to who they are, going through the motions of a life they think will make them "normal."
Sometimes people repress it so deeply that they try to condemn and legislate away the gay for everyone else.
Image used via Public Domain/ND State government.
These reasons and so many more are why young people deserve to see this young woman discuss what she went through.
You never know how you might affect someone's life by sharing this. Sometimes we see just the right thing just when we need it.
