I have not yet come out to my family, and I began to wonder why I had to at all. Why is my identity one that has to be defined as “other” by our society?
Though substance abuse can affect anyone, members of the LGBTQ community are particularly susceptible because of the unique stresses they often experience in relation to coming out and/or the negative social stigmas surrounding their identities.
I came out to my family at 25 years old. It was 2014, and while the country had made great progress in acceptance in terms of recognizing civil unions, putting more LGBTQ figures on television, and passing pro-gay laws, coming out was still a weighty experience.