Skip to content
The world's largest storytelling organization for LGBTQ+ youth.
Glossary Term

Coming Out

[ˈkʌmɪŋ aʊt]
  • (Gender Identity)
  • (General)
  • (Sexual Orientation)

Verb; Noun.

The process through which a person accepts their sexual orientation and/or gender identity as part of their overall identity.

This term means to accept yourself as your own identity. I don’t particularly like the traditional idea of coming out (the dynamic of explaining why you feel the way you feel) but with [this] definition I feel it focuses more on an internal process rather than an external process of others. My advice for youth is that you are entitled to feel and identify how you want to identify no matter how others around you may feel or think about it.
– Chloe, 15 years old, North Carolina
Youth Voices, Class of 2022

Additional Resources

TikToks to Learn More

Index