Gloria Carter Said it Best

And while the closet can provide protection, it comes at a cost. Gloria Carter, rapper Jay Z's mom, writes about this so eloquently at the end of his song, Smile, which was inspired by her coming out.

Living in the shadow
Can you imagine what kind of life it is to live?
In the shadows people see you as happy and free
Because that's what you want them to see
Living two lives, happy, but not free
You live in the shadows for fear of someone hurting your family or the person you love
The world is changing and they say it's time to be free
But you live with the fear of just being me
Living in the shadow feels like the safe place to be
No harm for them, no harm for me
But life is short, and it's time to be free
Love who you love, because life isn't guaranteed
Smile

For the LGBTQ community, sometimes the consequences of coming out--or being "outed"--are a matter of life and death. For others, perhaps coming out about something is just a step along the path of growing up and figuring out how to live without caring so much about what other people think and say. No matter where you land on this spectrum, there are very real challenges and unfortunate consequences when one finds themselves a minority in a majority community.

But, as those who have overcome any personal obstacles and tragedy will tell you, the journey to self honesty, compassion and acceptance creates a certain peace and freedom that will forever change you.