Here’s a wild idea, perhaps too wild for Tumblr:
When someone comes out, respect the labels they choose to use for themselves. Respect that the person coming out has already done all of the soul-searching and questioning.
To come out is to make public what we already know about ourselves–to share that with others, out of a sense of pride, a need for honesty, with respect for the importance of visibility.
When someone comes out, they are NOT extending an invitation for opinions or discourse on which label you believe best fits them–they are speaking their truth.
Their truth. You have no right to attempt to impose your own.
When someone comes out as pansexual, it is not your place to tell them that you think they should identify as bisexual instead.
When someone comes out as bisexual, it’s not your place to tell them that you believe they are really pansexual instead.
When someone comes out as queer, it is not your place to hold public debates on whether or not you believe they should reclaim the word for themselves.
Coming out is a sharing of personal truth. It isn’t up for debate.
When someone comes out, you either respect their right to define their identity on their own terms–or you’re the asshole. Period.
