What To Do If Someone Comes Out To Me
Having covered the matter of coming out and what to have in mind if doing so, now it’s time to talk about “What to do if someone comes out to me?”
If someone comes out to you, they must consider you their friend or someone trustworthy—close enough to want to be their honest self with you. There are no instructions to follow or scripts to go by, but there are a few things to keep in mind when this happens.
🌈Show them that you’re grateful that they trust you. Coming out isn’t easy, and having the courage to tell you is a big deal.
🌈Try to keep an open mind, and don’t judge them. Keep your personal beliefs to yourself if you know they won’t be constructive for this situation.
🌈Respect their choice and privacy. Just because they came out to you doesn’t mean they’re coming out to everyone they know. It’s likely there are still people they haven’t talked with, so be respectful and let them share their story in their own time.
🌈Let them know that they are loved no matter what. Be encouraging and receptive—fear of rejection is one of the reasons coming out can be so difficult.
🌈Invite them to spend time together. Some of their personal relationships may have changed because of how people reacted.
🌈Offer yourself as support and company when they come out to other people.
🌈Remember that mood swings can happen. Coming out can be overwhelming, and anger or depression can happen. Don’t take it personally. They are in a vulnerable time of sharing—stay empathic.
🌈Don’t change the way you treat them. Coming out sometimes feels like it’s going to change everything. They are still the same person! Now you just know them better.
🌈Don’t let your friends isolate themselves. Help them find resources where they can meet support groups and share their experiences when going through this process.
Understanding the process of coming out can be complicated, especially if you’ve never felt that you needed to hide a part of yourself because it could cause pain and rejection if others knew. It can be scary and life-changing.
Be EMPATHIC, SUPPORTIVE and AVAILABLE.
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