I started feeling an interest in boys since my childhood...

but I repressed that feeling for a long time. I had interiorised many homophobic thoughts, since most of them were considered normal in Italy until a few years ago was. The topic of homosexuality was kept away from children and the few representations we got to know were usually parodistic or negative; the culture in general didn’t help. Personally, I was never really in contact with my emotions. Dealing with feelings that were not considered the norm seemed dreadful.

Hiding everything looked like the best solution...

until it became unbearable.After closing a straight relationship, I came out to my gay best friend, who supported me and pushed me into being more sincere about myself. Being still very rigid, I hardly followed his advices but with the time I realised he was right. Slowly I came out with most other friends and after more than three years I managed do it with my parents. The first reaction was not enthusiastic, but we talked about that and they tried to understand me; it took some effort but in the end I felt very relieved. I know I was lucky, some family can react very badly, but living in fear, hiding ourselves, is worse eventually.

Even though we can fear not to be accepted...

coming out relieves from a burden and friends can be the best place to start from: even without realising it, we surround ourselves with people that we trust and that take care of us. They can be more supportive and open than we can imagine, sometimes. Being closeted risks to isolate us, while coming out gives us the chance to sincerely be with the others, to freely show when we are excited, happy or even broken, without the need to change anything of us.

As a student, I never felt very different from the others because of my sexuality. It never prevented me from making friends or getting accepted in a group. I would say instead the university is the right place for being ourselves since it’s a fresh start and an open-minded environment.