Current:Home > ScamsMaren Morris came out as bisexual. Here's the truth about coming out. -AssetVision
Maren Morris came out as bisexual. Here's the truth about coming out.
View
Date:2025-04-27 22:48:31
Maren Morris came out as bisexual this week posting a short and sweet message on Instagram: "happy to be the B in LGBTQ+," the singer wrote. "happy pride 🌈." It comes months after her divorce filing from Ryan Hurd.
But in the year 2024, many long for a world where coming out is a thing of the past, where LGBTQ+ people can hold hands with whomever they choose, kiss their partners in public and use their preferred pronouns without explanation.
In some places around the world – particularly cities throughout the U.S. – it might feel safe to do so without a second thought. But the political climate the last several years suggests coming out won't be over anytime soon.
"Ideally, we are working to create a world without boxes or closets to 'come out of' because we would never be expected to be anything other than who we say we are," Moe Ari Brown, a licensed marriage and family therapist, previously told USA TODAY. "Until that shift happens, we must intentionally choose who we wish to invite into a celebration of our identities."
LGBTQ+ people should be able to come out and assert their identities in the face of bigotry, though experts say they should never feel obligated to, especially when their safety is at risk.
Coming out isn't just a one-time thing
Coming out is a lifelong process. You don't simply declare"I'm gay" and a rainbow halo sprouts atop your head.
"It really is almost like a matrix or a cycle, in terms of the process of coming out, which happens in so many different ways across our lives," T.M. Robinson-Mosley, counseling psychologist, previously told USA TODAY.
In some ways, coming out in America has never been easier. Seventy-one percent of people in the U.S. support marriage equality, according to a Gallup poll published last year. Movies and TV shows have spotlighted queer characters and storylines. More and more LGBTQ+ people hold public office. And big name celebrities like Morris, Billie Eilish and Sophia Bush are just a few examples of those who have recently talked about their LGBTQ+ identities.
But hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the U.S. threaten to hinder long fought-for progress. This has also spilled out into the private sector, with brands like Bud Light and Target facing backlash for supporting the community.
Plus: "Violence has become a much more routine experience, or having protesters outside of drag shows and having places that were once very safe and welcoming and a part of a nucleus in the LGBTQ community have now become battlegrounds," Mosley says.
Why coming out is here to stay – for now, maybe forever
Visibility may have consequences; Morris has received backlash for simply previously identifying as an ally. But when someone feels safe to come out, it gives those in the closet some hope.
"During a time when extremists are seeking to silence the voices of the LGBTQ community, standing in solidarity and making our presence known is a powerful act of strength and resistance," Keygan Miller, Director of Public Training at The Trevor Project, previously told USA TODAY.
A utopia of a world without coming out may just not be in the cards for a divided society. But future generations will further embrace their identities compared to earlier ones. Gallup research shows that 7.6% of U.S. adults are LGBTQ+, with more than one in five Gen Z adults identifying as members of the community.
How to come out on your own terms
- Never feel obligated to come out. "Are cisgender people asked about their gender, and how they express themselves? Are cisgender people asked about their sexuality as often as different genders are?" noted Christina Ferraz, a public relations professional who goes by The PR Professor.
- Find community online if you can't in person. "Our research shows that LGBTQ young people who had access to online communities that affirmed their sexual orientation and gender identity reported lower rates of attempting suicide than those who did not," Miller says.
- If you feel safe, come out when you're ready. "It creates a sense of visibility, where they can express their authentic selves without fear of judgment or discrimination," Mosley says.
What does the future of coming out look like?
Coming out the way Morris did may go away to some extent. "While I think discrimination may always exist in some form, the intensity and the effect it has on our lives can absolutely change," Kimberly Vered Shashoua, a therapist who works with queer teens and young adults, previously told USA TODAY.
Others are more optimistic. "I believe gender and sexual orientation will be irrelevant because we get to collectively choose to eradicate the fear that prevents us from celebrating all people," Brown says. "We get to create this society we dream about. The future is in our hands."
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time day or night, or chat online.
Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.
If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project's trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting 678-678.
veryGood! (4978)
Related
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Luke Combs helping a fan who almost owed him $250,000 for selling unauthorized merchandise
- Thai police seize a record haul of 50 million methamphetamine tablets near border with Myanmar
- Inflation is pinching Hungary’s popular Christmas markets. $23 sausage dog, anyone?
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Warriors star Draymond Green suspended indefinitely by NBA
- Brooke Shields' Daughter Grier Rewears Her Mom's Iconic Little Black Dress From 2006
- The 'physics' behind potential interest rate cuts
- Intel's stock did something it hasn't done since 2022
- Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott’s Child Liam Undergoes Surgery
Ranking
- Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
- Testimony ends in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial, but the verdict isn’t expected until next month
- Here's What's Coming to Netflix in January 2024: Queer Eye, Mamma Mia! and More
- Bear killed after biting man and engaging in standoff with his dog in Northern California
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- West Virginia GOP Gov. Justice appoints cabinet secretary to circuit judge position
- San Francisco Giants sign Korean baseball star Jung Hoo Lee to six-year, $113 million deal
- Lawsuit alleges ex-Harvard Medical School professor used own sperm to secretly impregnate patient
Recommendation
Angelina Jolie nearly fainted making Maria Callas movie: 'My body wasn’t strong enough'
Oprah Winfrey reveals she uses weight-loss medication
Students treated after eating gummies from bag with fentanyl residue, sheriff’s office says
Australian court overturns woman’s 2-decade-old convictions in deaths of her 4 children
Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
Duchess Meghan, Prince Harry's Archewell Foundation suffers $11M drop in donations
Chris Christie looks to John McCain's 2008 presidential primary bid as model for his campaign
A volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island is sacred to spiritual practitioners and treasured by astronomers