Ellie | 18 | South West England | Cosmetics Sales Advisor

"I was head cheerleader, dating
the captain of the guys basketball
team at my college and then I fell
in love with the captain of the girls
basketball team."

I'd say I was pretty normal; not unpopular but not popular either. I've always had boyfriends in the past but I never really ‘got’ the whole relationship thing. I just put that down to me not wanting them and something I would have to live with. My relationships never worked out. Boys never stayed with me for more than a couple months or so. I never understood at the time but I get it now - I'm gay!

Me and Lauren (my girlfriend now) were best friends through college and I was in love with her for a lot of our friendship. I thought about telling her loads of times but I always thought she would totally freak out and I'd lose her. It turned out she had been feeling the same about me.

In the end she was actually the one who kissed me first which is weird because she is the shy one! It was really confusing and scary at first. We had both been straight our whole lives. At one point during our friendship we were even sort of seeing two guys who were best friends. We spent a night talking about what we wanted. It was scary but we had each other.


"We kept quiet about or relationship at 
first, but we both feel very strongly about 
LGBT rights and figured we had nothing 
to hide and shouldn't have to hide." 



If our friends had a problem then they weren't friends worth keeping. On our one month anniversary we both told the people we cared about. We knew it would spread like wildfire due to us being at college with lots of friends.

My parents took it very well. A success story! I thought my dad would be a little disappointed but he actually gave me one of the coolest reactions out of anyone I told that day! He didn't try to be overly accepting or make any dumb jokes; he just reacted honestly and reassuringly. It just goes to show that you definitely can't predict people's reactions.

The person I expected to be coolest about it actually reacted the worst and it completely ruined a relationship. He believed in traditional values and we don't exactly fit that. I guess it leaves me feeling quite inadequate; it's never nice knowing someone doesn't approve of you. In my heart though I know I can look after Lauren and take care of her. It's a year and a half on now and we’re still going strong. I love her with everything I have; she’s my world. 

"It's naive to think that nothing changes when you come out; it does. 
But you cope and move with the change - it's not necessarily a bad thing."


I lost some friends but in the same moment I realised who my true friends were. I think it's horrible that so many people are stuck 'in the closet' feeling frightened of the world. I have a lot of self respect and believe strongly in equality, applying my morals to my everyday life. We deserve to be who we were born and no one can take that away from us. Being free to be yourself is a right we all have and I think we should all be able to embrace it.

"I'm a stronger person since coming out and definitely happier."

Follow Ellie on Twitter - @elliekids
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