“I played the song “I’m coming out” about a week before telling my parents. I was 17. The person I told first was by brother’s girlfriend because her sister was ‘that way inclined’. She got me friends with her sister and I started to go to a gay group in Wakefield and I made friends for the first time and felt properly accepted in the group.
I sat my step-mum and dad down and said “right, you know how you thinking I’ve been going to work every Wednesday. Well, I’ve been going to a gay group and I’m gay”. Dad looked at me and said “It’s just a phase you’re going through”. I don’t know what made me choose that day. I was sick of hiding. I worked at Homebase at the time and my parents were doing a lot of decorating. They kept coming in using my discount card so I as a bit scared.
I was so nervous. I felt so sick. I felt really scared. I didn’t know how to get the words out. I was looking at the floor, fidgeting. When I’d told them, I felt I could go for a run…it was so liberating. Before I came out I used to have long hair, then after I came out I cut it really short…dressed boyish and thought, I want to tell the world who I am.”