coming out
/ˈkʌm.ɪŋ aʊt/
Very CommonThe act of disclosing your LGBTQ+ identity to others for the first time.
Often described as both a milestone and an ongoing process. Online it can be a serious personal post or a lighthearted meme. The pressure to come out and the safety around doing so vary enormously by context.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | finally came out to my parents last night and they were so cool about it | The speaker told their parents about their queer identity and was met with acceptance. | reddit, 2023 |
| 02 | i come out to a new coworker every few months. it never stops | Highlighting that coming out is not a single event but a repeated process. | x, 2024 |
| 03 | coming out as someone who has not finished the show yet | Playfully borrowing the 'coming out' format to confess an unrelated thing. | tumblr, 2022 |
| 04 | made a whole coming out post and my mom said she already knew for years | The speaker built up to a disclosure only to find it was not a surprise. | tiktok, 2023 |
Use it when
- Telling someone about your queer identity for the first time.
- Referring to the act or experience of LGBTQ+ disclosure.
- Making a public announcement of your identity online.
- Joking about being newly out or coming out in an unexpected context.
Do not use it when
- Pressuring someone to come out on a timeline they did not choose.
- Outing someone else by referencing their coming out without permission.
Variations and related forms
Coming out vs closeted
coming out
Coming out is the act of disclosing your identity.
VS
closeted
Closeted describes the state of not having disclosed it.
Origin and context
The phrase 'coming out of the closet' has been used in LGBTQ+ contexts since at least the 1960s in the United States. The shorter 'coming out' became the standard form. Online it is also used humorously to disclose any non-queer confession.
- First seen
- 1960s
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/coming-outUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0