In my freshman year of high school, I knew a girl who would ask me every day if I was gay and every day I would say no (spoiler alert: that was a lie). Honestly, I was just afraid of the truth. I grew up in a Catholic family, not even knowing that there was a name for what I was feeling until someone told me about being gay in school. I did not want to admit to her that I was gay, especially under that scrutiny, but I still told her I was bisexual later in the year which was true at the time. From then on, I was never truly in the closet to any of my friends. Most of them took their self discovery journeys with me and we were able to find who we are together. It started when I was about nine and I questioned if I had a crush on one of my best friends. I eventually found the answer to be ‘no,” but I did realize that I did, in fact, have an attraction to women in general. Later in my life, I found a label that I was comfortable with, pansexual. In the years that I have finally embraced my label I have found that I make other queer people comfortable by sharing with my sexuality, especially this past school year. As a senior in high school,a huge goal of mine was to make a lasting impact on the classes below me, causing me to form friendships with them, especially the younger freshmen. Specifically, there were two young queer people who told me at the end of the year that I helped them feel comfortable and welcome in their first year of high school. I feel as though these people felt more comfortable sharing their struggles with me because I was so open with them about my sexuality. I have always been passionate about inclusion in schools because the lack of inclusion for me when I was younger had horrible effects on my mental health. At home, my coming out was not well received. However, it allowed me to be more open with what I believe at home, no matter if my parents like it or not. Coming out has allowed me the courage to speak up for myself and my beliefs at family functions, even if the majority of people there believe the opposite thing I do and despite the intense anxiety confrontation gives me. In the end, though my family is not very accepting, I am glad that I came out to them, because I can now be my true self in front of them rather than hiding every day.