Aiden James is a local singer/song writer that has national appeal

In my view, a person doesn’t have a single coming out story. We have many, in fact. We have a conversation with each person close to us. We come out to each of them. Only authentic selves can connect; we must reveal ourselves. I never really cared what people thought of me or if I was judged, because I never judged myself for being gay.

It was different for me, because my immediate family weren’t people who were kind to me anyways. This is not one of those flowery stories where I came out to my family and they embraced me with open arms. For example, I do recall one instance when I was about fourteen and my mother called me a little f*cking sissy lala, to which I replied “Well, you better wake up cause there is a world full of us, not just me standing in our kitchen.” My point is, feel strength — you have one life to live. Also I will add, reject religion. It’s constructed to divide and oppress. Embrace kindness and compassion.