Coming Out Stories

Jasraj Dillon

Growing up, I always perceived sexuality as male or female. I never quite understood why people criticized my feminine, non-ideal male body. Friends and relatives made casually racist comments telling me to gain weight and hide my feminine side

Having raised in a conservative patriarchal society, I had no idea that sexuality is a spectrum. When I moved to the city to complete my higher education, it was when I first realized there was something different about me. Though I liked men over women, I wasn't aware of my feelings and why it was happening. I would lie about finding girls attractive. Later, when I entered college, I developed feelings for a friend. But I couldn't tell anyone what I was going through for three years. That's when I started exploring and learning about the LGBTQ+ community. However, I still had mixed feelings and wondered if I didn't really understand my own sexuality.

A year after my graduation, I met one of her juniors who introduced himself and mentioned his sexuality. I was so lucky to know someone from the community. He slowly began to talk about his experiences as a "gay" man in India and how terrifying it was to get out of the closet. So when he asked about my sexuality, I told him I was "straight." 

Having struggled with my sexuality over the years, I decided to acknowledge my feelings and accept myself for who I was. It was when I was sure that I was "Gay." I  told this to my junior and now best friend, who helped me with this experience of coming out. Though I'm not out to my friends and family, I leave no opportunity to discuss LGBTQ+ rights online. I know it will be a long fight, but I am determined not to hide or lie about who I am.

Nitin Chauhan

The path to self-acceptance can be difficult, especially if it is paved with the opinions of others. Many LGBTQ+ people are afraid to come out as their true gender or share their sexuality because they are worried about how their families will respond, whether they will lose friends if they do so, or whether their profession, religion, or community will perceive them differently.

Most of the times, we are unaware of our feelings, which makes life more difficult. For me, I've always had a strong attraction to men, albeit I wasn't sure why. I used to have a crush on my best friend when I was in seventh grade, but at the time, I was having trouble accepting those feelings. I fell in love with someone after a while, but it was only one-sided when I was in the tenth grade. Because I was afraid of coming out of the closet, I was distraught and wanted to end my life. I tried to commit suicide a couple times and underwent therapy sessions.

I often thought that because of how I was born, I was a burden to my parents. I decided to tell my sister after repeatedly wounding myself. She surprisingly understood what I was going through. She spoke with our parents about this after a few days, and I was lucky enough that they did accept it without asking any questions to me.

I believe that when we create inclusive places that allow each person to be the best version of themselves, our businesses, organization, communities, and our country can all be stronger and better.