I’m so glad you brought this up. The first time you come out is one thing but we rarely talk about the fact that the life of an LGBT+ member is an endless journey of coming out. Every time you’re in a new social situation or a new job you have to decide if you should bring it up or how to come out to new friends or if you should just lay low. I find myself hesitating and debating whether to come out in certain situations and it’s honestly stressful. Also, being in the south makes me question if someone will accept me or will feel awkward if I bring it up. There’s still a stigma to it here and many Southerners are not progressive or fully accepting of the LGBT community so this makes things harder. Now that I’m married it brings a new element to these interactions as I often debate whether or not to correct a stranger when they assume I have a husband instead of a wife. Being LGBT is more complicated and intricate than I could have imagined when I came out just a little over 2 years ago. I hope we get to a place where it’s no big deal and there is no reason to hesitate and it’s just another item on the get to know me list but we are not there yet and until we are we must decide for ourselves how to handle our every day coming outs as we go.