A Student Minds volunteer writes about her experience of coming out at university, and the importance of finding support that works for you.
Going to university
I came out to friends just before
I went to university and luckily most of them were really supportive - many of
them had already guessed anyway. I had told my mum, though she didn’t quite
believe me yet and was uncomfortable about the whole thing. As for my dad,
making jokes about gay people was one of his pastimes, so I was far too scared
to tell him. In a way I was happy to leave home so I could be the person I
wanted to be without those pressures.
Meeting people who made me feel comfortable
In my first few terms of
university it was actually quite difficult to know when I should tell people I
was gay. I still felt a little uneasy and wanted people to get to know me for
who I was before I got labelled as a lesbian. It was awkward when I was trying
to make friends, especially when I got invited to a girly films and pizza
night. Everyone was talking about the guys they fancied in the college. I felt
so out of place and isolated because I thought I’d shock the room to a halt if
I started talking about the women I
liked. But soon enough I found people I did want to be friends with. The course
mate that hit on me during fresher’s week became my best mate and I got involved with the LGBT group and made
friends through their socials. Pretty soon everyone just sort of knew. In time,
I lost the feeling that I needed to explain myself to everyone I met and just
let people guess through the pronouns I used and the stories I told.
Going back home to family was challenging
The hardest bit was going back
home for the holidays, and knowing whether or not to tell family I had a
girlfriend or whether she might even be able to visit. I had a couple of
girlfriends at uni and both of their parents were really welcoming. But this
made me feel guilty and upset that my mum was more awkward and I couldn’t
introduce them to my dad. My mum did let me have girlfriends stay, and even
tried to talk to them for a bit, but it was incredibly tense and I knew it
would have been completely different if it was a boyfriend I was bringing home.
I eventually told my dad too, and the way he reacted I would never want to have
introduced him to a girlfriend.
Feeling unaccepted by my parents
was one of the major stresses (among others) which contributed to me having a
number of breakdowns. There was self harm, suicidal thoughts, self-destructive
behaviour, and constantly telling myself I was a “selfish arsehole”. I drank
myself through university, and used sex and alcohol to legitimise myself.
But this year things started to
get better. I went to counselling and realised I needed to talk to my parents.
As I became more comfortable in myself I grew the confidence to talk to them
and tell my parents how their actions made me feel. It turned out they were
actually both quite ashamed about how they reacted and it took a series of
conversations and most importantly time
to clear the air. Now I can talk to my parents about girlfriends or LGBT
related things and it feels okay. This year my mum even got involved in Pride and
I would now be quite happy to introduce someone to my dad should the time come.
LGBT-friendly university settings are important
I’m not going to lie: There is
still discrimination about being LGBT. People occasionally shout at you in the
street. People might ask you to stop kissing your partner because they think
it’s more important they’re not offended than for you to exercise your human
rights. But university was generally a supportive and liberal environment for
me to come out in, and that was so important. I was surrounded by like-minded
people and friends who I could vent to and even laugh about any injustices that
still sadly exist. And it was this which gave me the confidence to be myself,
to be comfortable enough with who I am to have those much needed conversations
with family or friends back home. And these supportive networks still exist
after university; the movement to reduce stigma around LGBT issues is an
inspiring thing to be a part of, and becomes a support in itself.
I have written this anonymously for my parents' sake because they have really have worked to challenge their initial prejudices over
the years.
At Student Minds we recognise that the student LGBTQ+ community can be under-represented at times and may be at risk of experiencing mental health difficulties at university.
If you would like to find out more, or find further support you can find more on our LGBTQ+ webpage.
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