Louis Collins

One thing is for sure, being out of the closet feels a lot better than being in it. I feel more like myself. When I came out at the age of 12, I had a lot of friends that were supportive and some that weren’t and because of that, some of them decided to not be my friend anymore. It hurt a lot and it was hard for me to know who I could let in, but now that I’m out and have the support that I need, I feel more like myself. Telling my friends was honestly the easiest part, telling my Mom was a different story because she’s very religious. On that day, I felt anxious and claustrophobic. I remember telling myself that it was a sin, that it was wrong, and that I was a terrible person for being gay. But I told myself that this was something I needed to do, whether my mom would accept me or not. Although she isn’t supportive, I’m just glad she knows. If I could talk to my closest self, I’d say that there’s no point in putting yourself down because there are plenty of people that’ll do that for you, so instead of joining them, beat them. You’re your own person and you deserve to be treated as equally as everyone else.