Background Information
I am a senior in the Honors College at the University of Central Arkansas majoring in writing. One of the requirements in my minor program is each student must to create an independent thesis project by the end of their senior year and present it to their peers, professors and family. Some of the projects in the past have been lengthy research papers, some have been books of poetry, and others were art shows. Each project is unique as the person creating it and limited only by their creativity and vision.
For my thesis project I decided that I wanted to collect and edit an anthology of coming out stories from people all across the country. Since I began college, being involved in the gay community has become increasingly important to me. It was just prior to my sophomore year in college that I decided to tell my family that I am gay – something I had always intended to do sooner. After that I became more open and I realized a whole new perspective on life.
It was coming out that allowed me to be my true self. It is an event that is so significant in our daily lives that we remember the moment, the very day, which we came to the full realization of who we are. The moment in which we refused to turn back from our destiny. In this way it is like the moment we are first born - the first instant in which we are realized - for when we strip ourselves of our fear and doubt we are reborn in this life.
Some of the most pivotal points in our lives happen when we share, sometimes for the first time, something about ourselves with another. These stories are as different as each of us is from one another. Some of them are funny and others are sad; some are to friends and others are to family; some happen by chance and some take years to prepare for. These are your stories; they are part of who you are.
The only truly unifying aspect of the gay community is that at some point we have to tell another human being who we really are. Through these shared experiences I hope to give a face and a voice to anyone with a story to tell, and I believe we all have a story to tell. This is not aimed solely at the LGBT community, but to our allies as well. We all have a voice that should be heard.
These stories are defining moments in our lives, and they can happen to anyone at any time. It is not enough for us to fight for our rights alone, we need the help of those around us. So be prepared to be heard! You are someone's neighbor or friend, their son or daughter, you are that guy or girl in the supermarket or in a church pew. We have to be more than just a member of our own community, we are part of the greater community as a whole.
So if you would like to contribute to this project check out the “Submit” tab at the top and learn more or refer this website to a friend. If nothing else just keep living every day being who you are – that may be the most important thing anyone can do.
