My Coming-Out Story

In March of 2005, I wrote a long letter to my father, seeking guidance on a matter that had been left unaddressed for too long. I'm sharing this part of my life because it helped me greatly to read the stories of other people struggling to come out of the closet, and I just want to return the favor. I hope that I can reflect some of the comfort, support, guidance, and encouragement that I received from reading the stories of strangers. In case you couldn't guess, this story is very personal: it would not be genuine or effective if I didn't open my heart completely. So if you are not comfortable with being exposed to some rather intimate details about me, read something else. As a final note of preface, this letter will probably be far more comprehensible if you already know a little bit about me before reading it. This story is told in four parts:

  1. The Letter Itself
  2. Dad's Response
  3. My Response To His Response
  4. Aftermath