Country & city: South Africa - Johannesburg
Name/nickname: Pup
Age: 43
Gender: F
What did you come out as (gay, bi, transgendered)? Gay
What other words would you use to describe yourself? Spiritual, intelligent, compassionate
How old were you when you first realized your identity? 4 years old, realised I was different
How old were you when you first told someone? 28
Did you plan it? If so, how? Made dinner appointments with loved ones and told them
What made you choose that person to tell? There were important to me
Can you remember exactly what you said? no
How did you feel? emancipated
What was the person’s reaction? All good, one huge surprise
What did they say? OMG, so, yes we knew, you have to say the word...
What was your relationship with the person like afterwards? Good
What’s it like now? Even better
If you’ve been outed unwillingly, who did it? Nope
What happened? n/a
What were peoples’ reactions? n/a
If you’ve experienced homophobia etc, please give an example. None really
Since coming out, how “out” are you in the following areas of your life:
Educational institution: NA
Job: Done hide but don't advertise either
Family: Completely
Friends: Completely
What does being out mean to you? Not hiding my identity
What differences, if any, did your cultural background make to your experience of coming out? Took longer as was from a christian upbringing.
What does the concept of the closet mean to you? A dark place I spent too long in
What advice would you give someone wanting to come out? Our expectations are of horror but the opposite it generally true. Being in your integrity is better than being in the closet
If you could do it all again, would you do it any differently? If so, how? Come out earlier