I’ve been queer all my life, but I didn’t come out until I was 24. I grew up in a strict religious home my mom Christian, my dad Muslim, where being gay was never an option. I had my first girlfriend at 14, but hid it behind boyfriends and even had two children trying to please my family. When my older brother came out, my parents were so devastated they stayed in bed for two weeks. That made me hide even more. For years, I lived a life that wasn’t mine until one day, I got tired of pretending. Coming out was the scariest but most freeing thing I’ve ever done. Today I live openly, happily, and surrounded by chosen family. I lost people, but I found myself and that’s everything. If you’re ready to stop hiding, I can help you walk toward that same freedom.