LGBT Foundation's video: Lesbian and Bisexual Women on Coming-Out: When and Where We Want - Maggy

Welcome to our vlog series on coming-out, when and where we want. This is part of the Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Confidence Movement 2017, hosted by LGBT Foundation’s Women’s Programme We will amplify our voices, our experiences and our struggles. We will celebrate the ways in which we find confidence in ourselves and our communities. We will reclaim our identities and stories, recognising the differences between them. For more information about this campaign, visit: www.lgbt.foundation/confidence17 Follow across social media for the latest updates. The transcriptions for these vlogs are below. If you have any questions or feedback about this Confidence Movement, please email women@lgbt.foundation For media enquiries, please email media@lgbt.foundation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [00:00:00] START [00:00:01 – 00:02:45] START My name is Madeline Moyer and I’m from Zimbabwe and I am staying in a hotel in the UK. Erm, I will talk about my coming out. I think when I was in Africa, there was no coming out time. That time wasn’t, it was never there because of the community. Where I grew up we are not allowed to say anything about being gay or a lesbian. So we, you are not exposed to-to that culture. You are considered demonic something like that. If if you are different from other people. So it was something that really bothering me, no one to talk to and I knew if that I say something about it, I would be in trouble. So the most painful thing that time asking yourself is this who I am. Am I different from other girls and I am not attracted to men like other girls and who do I talk to? And the person who to talk to is the person going to support you or discourage you. But you know very well that where you coming from no one is going to accept that. So it is something you work out inside. And so to the time it hit to me in the UK. I would say in Africa, I have tried so many times to come out and I was just voiceless. I didn’t have the courage to do so. Erase the feelings, er had to outgrown me. So when I was in the UK, my coming out was very easy. I found a different community altogether. A loving community, er where by you have many role models, you watching the movies, you go to Pride. The community is so big. The gay community is so loving and they are always ready to listen. For me it was too different er situations altogether. So what I say is that erm, back home it was really painful. It was a struggle, struggling with my feelings of what I am feeling towards other, men, other girls. Er, what I feel when I should somebody that this is who I am and what I want. You are trying to fight everyday, it overwhelms you. Until I got to this side where it is open, you’re accepted, you don’t have to go around looking behind your back, who’s watching you. So I think think it was really easy when I got here and I didn’t have a problem coming out. I am now a proud lesbian woman compared to the scared one that I was back home. The terrified one who would be persecuted just loving someone. [00:02:46] TRANSITION FINISH