(RELATED: Gay Olympian Adam Rippon Turns Down Meeting With Mike Pence)I was 22 by the time I first came out — to the surprise of no one.
I was scared to share the part of me that I thought I kept hidden so well. I also felt embarrassed; I was worried the people in my life would think that I was lying to them.
When I finally told my friends and family that I was gay, even if to them nothing was different, to me it felt like a huge weight was off my shoulders.
Everyone was very supportive; I was never made to feel different or that I wasn't equal to the people in my life. I know that isn't the story for a lot of LGBTQ+ people.