I lead my life today as an openly gay man; one (mostly) unafraid to claim myself as such.
I still remember the harshness of the closet. It dictated my words, my actions, and my life. Every slur and homophobic remark I heard felt like heavy bricks stacked against the closet door, further trapping me in the darkness.
I think about the lies I fed my adolescent-self to try and be “normal.” How I wish I could tell that teenage boy that his desires for love and touch and companionship were just how they should be; that there’s nothing wrong being “different.” No one should have to live a lie to be respected. No one should have to live in the closet.
Visibility was critically empowering for me as I gathered the courage to come out. Each person that I saw living out and proud, in all gamuts of the rainbow, helped illuminate the way out of the closet. It meant the world to see people out and happy—to see the freedom that comes with accepting myself.
I strive to be the person that my closeted teenage-self needed, publicly rejecting shame and refusing to hide. I benefited greatly from visibility, and I hope to add to the wide spectrum of queer experiences.
My name is Kevin, and I am out and proud.