Today is National Coming Out Day… and while there are days for everything, this one is super close to my heart.  It’s the day when we celebrate as a member of the LGBTQ community, being true to ourselves; which is a super hard process for most members of the LGBTQ community.

I was in my late 20’s before I felt comfortable enough to come out to my family and friends. I knew when I was 12 (actually even younger, but knew what it was at 12) that I was gay. Again, I hid and lied to everyone until I was 27 or 28.

I’m lucky though, when I came out, my mom’s biggest concern was that I was burning the hamburgers that were on the grill! (I was grilling dinner for my family when I decided to come out, go figure!) All my close friends were totally supportive (way more than I ever thought) and the rest of my family, with the exception of a few extended family members that don’t matter anymore, were such a group of support for me.

A lot of people aren’t that lucky. They are shunned from their family and friends.  Sometimes the simple act of finally telling people the deepest, most vulnerable secret you have, results in you no longer having a place to call home.

To anyone who is deciding to take the step to come out, but afraid you’ll have no one to care about you, or you have come out and now have no support group... know that I am here for you. Yeah we may not know each other, but everyday I’m either on Facebook or on the air with a public telephone number (616-770-8957). You can reach out to me anytime!

In the last 2 years, I’ve been able to be more of who I really am. My job and life now, have helped me become the most open and comfortable I’ve ever been. All the sad nights alone, wondering if I’d be accepted, were a part of the process but completely worth it!

I’m proud to be who I am. I'm also very proud to stand with anyone who is declaring “THIS IS WHO I AM” today. Be You. Be Unique. We have one life, it’s worth living it to the fullest.

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