As we recognize #lgbthistory Month, #comingout for me was a very interesting experience. I decided to write my parents a note and did not want them to talk about it with me until the next day. At the point that I decided that I needed to come out. I was confident in who I was and who I want it to be. when my parents ended up looking at the letter my mom was more worried because I identify as #pansexual and she did not completely know what that was and she was just used to people saying that they were #gay, #lesbian, #bisexual, and #transgender.

My mother worried for my mental health because at the time and still today we’re still dealing with some homophobia. My dad mostly agreed with my mom but really had no words to describe of how he felt.  my story is a very unique but simple story and I understand that others go through different issues of coming out, but I always remind people when I tell my story that there is always Support that is out there when you’re ready to tell your story. 

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Stephon Camp

They/Them He/Him

Louisville, KY

Youth Activist Alliance

I’ve known I was gay since kindergarten, but back then, I didn’t know the language to be able to truly express how I felt, nor was the environment safe enough to do so. As time progressed, I eventually came out sophomore year of high school, but accidentally outed myself on Facebook thanks to a school project.

Fast forward to present day, as I became more comfortable with my gender expression, it lead many to question my gender identity, with most of new folks just assuming that I’m trans. They say you can have multiple coming outs, which is true, because that common misconception lead to my finally come out as gender non-conforming, and to this day I proudly go by both he & she pronouns.

Protect Trans Health today by submitting a comment to ProtectTransHealth.org

On the 30th Anniversary of World AIDS Day we amplified the voices of young people living with HIV. Activist Marnina Miller discussed her experiences as a Black woman committed to ending HIV stigma and discrimination in her community.

Levi, California

he/him

Transgender Awareness Week brings visibility to the transgender community and the issues our community faces. For me, it’s important to let everyone know that we exist. I recently came out to my family in June and most of them had no idea what I was talking about. Hispanic families, like mine, sometimes appear more conservative and religious due to cultural traditions and values and that’s scary. Like mine, I am sure that most Hispanic families don’t know that Trans Awareness Week exists. On the bright side, it’s an opportunity to be seen and heard by people and that’s really what I care about. Representation for people of color, especially in media is very scarce. I feel like I haven’t seen a story about a Hispanic trans dude anywhere. People find comfort in seeing people who feel and look just like them, doing things that they didn’t think was possible for them to do. Growing up, I never had that sort of comfort which I feel discouraged me from being true to myself sooner.