20 Top Reactions to People ‘Coming Out’

Coming out as LGBTQ+ is a deeply personal and often vulnerable experience. For some, the process of accepting and sharing their identity can happen quickly, while for others it may take time. Regardless, what everyone hopes for is acceptance, understanding, and love from those they come out to.

In the 90s, when my girlfriend finally told her traditional Italian mom and grandma at 19, they sighed in unison and grandma said, ‘oh thank baby Jesus, I was worried that I was going to have to tell you.

Your mother owes me £10.

Hi gay, I’m Dad.

I was getting ready to go to a sleepover with a girl I was totally crushing on and my mom was like “you look like you’re getting ready for a date!”
And I paused and was like “would it be okay if I was…. Going on a date with a girl?”
My mom just said, “Of course just remember to practice safe sex. You can get STDs from girls too!”

This story does not involve a dad, but it involves a very religious grandma. One of my friends was very nervous about telling his grandma that he was gay, and put it off for a long time. But when he turned 18 he decided that he had to get this done. When he told her she just looked at him calmly answered “of course you are. I have known that since you were 10”. At the age of 10 he didn’t even know it himself yet.

“So that’s why you don’t like mushrooms”. At least that’s what my friends dad said to him when he came out. We still don’t know what he meant by that.

Great ! Now I don’t have to worry about you getting some girl pregnant !

Am Dad. Said this !

Hi probably gay, I’m definitely dad.

It’s okay, your mother likes guys too, maybe I am the weird one.

Asian Dad: But are you a Doctor yet?

I want you to know that no matter who you love, I still need you to take out the trash. It’s full. And replace the f*****g liner this time.”

You still have to wear a condom.

My stepdad, who I consider my dad, was the man that raised me, and he’s a big redneck steel worker. I came out at 18 and he sat me down and said “son, I’ve loved you like you were my own for the past 14 years. Why the hell would I stop now?”

My daughter was looking extremely nervous one night while I was cooking dinner. I could see her talking quietly with her mom but she continued to look uneasy.

After a bit of time, she came into the kitchen and I asked her what was wrong. She didn’t want to tell me at first but I could tell she was uneasy so I said she could always tell me anything.

She finally said that she was pansexual. I just looked at her and said “that just means twice as many people that can turn you down for dates now” and she busted out laughing as I went back to cooking to finish dinner.

She was apparently really nervous about telling me for some reason and was glad I wasn’t upset.

When my daughter came out, I was a bit shocked, but I told her that I loved her completely and didn’t care who she loved. It completely softened her demeanour in our relationship and she has been far more open with me ever since. I think in the months leading up to that she was terrified to tell me, which made her distant and cold. After telling me that, she has been back to normal. Just tell them how much you love them, and get back to business as usual.

My mother was disappointed. Disappointed because, “You told your cousin Shirley before you told me? I think I should’ve been first.”

Lesbian here. When I came out to my dad he said “that’s ok honey, I don’t like guys either.”

One of my friends from high school was gay, and when he came out to his family his Dad literally didn’t look up from his newspaper & told him his sister didn’t need to tell him she was straight so why would he need to explain that he was gay? He’s known him his whole life and already knew that.

It was cute because he was so worried.

“I thought you were about to give me bad news! Don’t scare me like that!” – My granny when my uncle came out (in the ‘70’s!). She was decades ahead of her time…

I drunk-dialed my dad my freshman year of college in a sobbing mess and told him I was Bi. Went something like this:

Me: I’m bisexual.

Dad: Yeah, I figured.

Me: Huh? What?