I don't want to start with something tearful. My name is Chiara, I am Italian, I am 21. When I was younger, I did not believe or better, I did not imagine in the least to be homosexual. Although, I admit, I never liked boys (that is,I had a crush or two but ... I never felt the attraction). At 15 years old, I fell in love with my best friend, but I wasn't sure I could consider it "love". When her boyfriend hugged her, I felt jealous, I wanted to be me instead of the boy. Although, I admit, I wasn't sure ... But the following year, at 16, thanks to my uncles, I had the opportunity to travel to London. During that trip ... I heard some "insults" from my uncle against two boys holding hands, but that insult offended me (I didn't understand "Why am I offended if you are not talking about me? ") Maybe at that moment I would have thought" and if you had seen me? How would you have reacted? " I kept trying to understand, until ... I didn't fall in love with a girl, two years later, she was the most beautiful I had ever seen, sometimes we called each other, we had nothing to say to each other yet We stayed on the phone, just to hear the other's breath. After 4 months, we broke up and I never suffered as much for someone as for her. The following year, I went to Pompeii Pride . Do you know the feeling of when you finally made peace with yourself? When you can finally say "I am like this, am I gay?" Feeling yourself after so long hidden in the closet? Here, that day, I felt FREE, like never before ... Free from any prejudice, from any kind of hatred. That day, I came out with myself and the following days with my parents.
Having said that, I am proud to be able to scream it, to be able to say it without fear and with confidence, I am sure of myself, of what I feel, of my sexuality. I am proud of myself. Though, It took a long time to do it, but it was really worth it.