PRIDE 2021

24 Lessons Learned in 24 Years of Being “Out”

The journey continues, but here’s what’s clear so far

Me and my aunt, both with curls, 1991

I came out in 1997, three months after my parents divorced. It was a tumultuous time. Our family was changing, and so was I. I was 19, and those who loved me begged me not to make such a bold declaration at such a young age. But I knew what I was. In…