One thing I have learned over the past few years is that coming out is an ongoing and never-ending process. Every time someone new enters my life, I have to keep in mind how I am going to break the news to them, if they haven’t already figured it out on their own. In this never-ending journey, I have been met with many surprises, and I can gladly say that the majority of these surprises have been positive. I can remember feeling extremely nervous at the thought of coming out to my straight male friends from high school, thinking they would automatically get uncomfortable and think I was going to put the moves on them. Luckily, this was never the reaction. My biggest surprise came when my friend, who is an ex-Mormon, told me he was proud of me. I never thought I’d hear that from any of my straight male friends, let alone him. It goes to show that a lot of the time this fear that we, as LGBT individuals, hold on to in relation to coming out is really blown out of proportion in our own minds. If you are struggling with coming out to your friends or family in fear of their reaction, make sure you don’t over think what could happen, and try not to stereotype too harshly. For instance, if the person you are coming out to has a religious and/or conservative background, that does not necessarily mean that you are going to be met with negativity and hate. Some of my closest friends have different political and spiritual beliefs than me, and yet my orientation is not an issue whatsoever. Just because you may have some negative experiences coming out doesn’t mean you should always expect the worst. Give credit to the allies out there and know that when coming out, a true friend will stand by you no matter what. For some people, you coming out may be a surprise, so be patient with them. Perhaps the most humorous reaction I have received after coming out to a friend was that she thought I was playing a practical joke on her. In her mind there was no way I was gay because I had dated so many girls before college. Later, she realized I was very serious, and to this day, she still supports me. I am not saying coming out is a positive experience all of the time because I know it is one of the scariest acts to ever follow through with. When it all comes down to it though, people are either going to accept you or not, and the ones that don’t are the ones missing out on a truly fulfilling friendship.