Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
I am Ade Adeniji
and I am co-founder of The Quest,
which is an organisation that runs personal development workshops
and events for gay men.
I'm also editor of a blog site called OutTales Around the Fire
where I share stories of my own journey as a gay man,
and from time to time other gay men join me in sharing their own stories, too.
When I look back at my own journey as a gay man,
I know that it took me many years to be able to, to share my stories.
As a teenager, I knew I was different.
I didn't have a name for, for gay,
but I knew that I wasn't the same as many of my friends
who were often talking about girls.
And it took a while for me to start developing the confidence
to step into my life as a gay man.
I was 27 before I actually started having conversations with people
about my sexuality.
And I know in coming out,
one of the things that really helped me
was cultivating friends who I knew I could be myself with.
So I remember during that whole process,
I set myself a goal
of coming out to a different person a week.
So I'd go through my diary and look for the next person,
and we'd meet up and have a conversation,
and I'd find a way of weaving in my sexuality into that conversation.
And when I look back now,
I know that that was what gave me the confidence
to start to accept myself exactly as I am.
And it continues to be an ongoing journey
because what I now know is,
coming out is not a one-off event.
It is lifelong, actually,
because we're constantly meeting new people,
being in new situations.
I am Ade Adeniji
and I am proud to be gay.