Jay's Coming Out Story

Jay Chang shares his experiences of coming out.

Growing up there was no term describing the action of “coming out” in my mother tongue, at least not one that I was aware of, so when I came out for the first time I didn’t even know what it was or what to call it. It occurred on the last day of primary school, I was supposed to be transferred to a new school when the next semester commenced. Hence, I took this opportunity to confess to my best friend about my years-long crush and never expected any reciprocation in return.

Fate has a funny sense of humour, however, not only did I fail my entrance exam to the said school, but I also sat next to him for the next two years. I can’t remember fully what my feelings were at the moment, but it was equally nerve-wracking, exciting, and dreadful all at the same time, so even if there was no appropriate word to describe it, I suppose it is a shared and somewhat universal experience amongst all of us in the LGBTQ+ community. For me coming out is a moment of liberation and courage, it’s when I get to proudly be myself, and I won’t ever let anyone take that away from me.

It’s not always a picture-perfect situation, but by embracing the positive aspects you’ll see that there’s so much love and compassion in this world. What was his response you ask? He blushed, thanked me, gave me a big hug, and we are still close friends even now 12 years later. That’s worthy of an “aww” moment don’t you think?

Jay's Coming Out Story

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