“Coming out, at times, felt impossible” - LGBTQ+ people come together for candid podcast opening up on everything from navigating faith to being a parent
More than a dozen LGBTQ+ people have come together to discuss everything from navigating life with their faith to being a parent in a trailblazing new podcast.
Thirteen people, who are aged from their early 20s to mid-40s and live across the UK from London to Glasgow have shared pertinent, heartwarming stories about how they’ve learned to navigate life as an openly LGBTQ+ person in the hope it will inspire and give the confidence to others that they can be the same. Some have shared their stories coming out as far as Colorado in the United States and Bangkok in Thailand.
The podcast, named It Gets Better UK - The Podcast, is launching during LGBT History Month with each recording releasing weekly from Monday, February 9 on Amazon, iHeart Radio and Spotify. The first two will be released on that date with the rest following one per week afterwards.
Each podcast has a theme, covering:
- How do we feel about coming out?
- Coming out to friends
- Coming out to family
- Coming out at school and uni
- Coming out in the workplace
- Coming out in a faith-based community
- Coming out online
Sarah Cosgriff, from Wiltshire, identifies as asexual. She spoke on the Coming Out At Work episode. She said: “I found it really helpful for me to hear other people's stories when I was trying to figure out my sexuality. There is such a diverse range of experiences within the asexual community, and I am not going to relate to all of them. This is one reason why I think it's important to share my story, but I also think of doing it for the younger version of me.”
Dhiren Doshi-Smith, a therapist who lives in Loughton, Essex, spoke on the Coming Out To Family episode about coming out as a person of colour. He said: “Growing up as a person of colour in a community where queerness was taboo, coming out felt dangerous, isolating, and at times impossible. There were very few stories that looked like mine, and silence often felt like survival.
“I wanted to be part of this podcast so other queer people of colour can hear that they are not broken, they are not alone, and that life does not always stay as small or painful as it can feel in those early years. Representation matters, especially when it comes from lived experience, and it really does make a difference to hear that it can and does get better.”
Kate Doak-Keszler, also speaks on the Coming Out To Family podcast. She said: “I was so lucky to come out to an accepting family. Now as a parent myself, I hope to be the same kind of safe place for my kids, and to encourage other parents to embrace who their children are, to know other families have made this journey before.”
The podcast has been made and produced by It Gets Better UK volunteer, Ross Wilsher, who is a wedding photographer. Living in Chelmsford with his husband, James, Ross said that coming out for him was a ‘challenging process’. He added: “I hope that with this podcast we have created a resource that will help young people of all identities feel better equipped to live a more authentic life.”
It Gets Better UK is a charity with a mission to uplift, empower and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer youth. Their vision is for a world where all LGBT+ youth are free to live equally, connect to their communities and know their power as individuals.
Dr Alex Rhys OBE, founder of It Gets Better UK, said: “These stories remind us why It Gets Better UK exists - to ensure no young LGBTQ+ person feels alone in their journey.
"From navigating faith to building families, from coming out at work to finding authentic connections, each of these voices offers hope and proof that life truly does get better.
"What Ross and our contributors have created here is a vital resource that will reach young people across the UK and beyond who need to hear that they belong, they matter, and their future holds joy.”