Loading...
MENU

Why
WELCOMING OUT?

Sexual Orientation

Gender identity

Inter*

The Solution:
WELCOMING OUT

With WELCOMING OUT we have created a symbol with which you can send a message that is as simple as it is important:

"I invite people in my environment who are not outed to have their coming out to me. I am signaling that they do not have to fear negative reactions, and I am inviting a dialogue.

I'm having my WELCOMING OUT."

You don't need a huge amount of expertise on lgbtiq+ topics. People who have their WELCOMING OUT open the door for a dialogue. We are convinced that if your counterpart comes out thanks to your WELCOMING OUT, you can learn a lot from the following conversations.

But one thing is incredibly important in any case: If it says WELCOMING OUT on it, it must also be WELCOMING OUT in it. Because with a WELCOMING OUT, not outed lgbtiq+ people are invited to confide in you. This trust is a gift and must not be abused under any circumstances.

Assuming your WELCOMING OUT is followed by a coming out, that doesn't mean you can't make mistakes. Making mistakes is okay as long as you keep three essential things in mind:

1. Appreciation and Respect

When you use WELCOMING OUT to invite others to come out, it can still happen that a coming out totally surprises you. There can be many reasons why you would never have expected it with individual people.

Nevertheless, no matter what you thought or did before, take a coming out seriously.  Even if you don't understand or comprehend it at first, acknowledge and respect it.

2. Ask if you may ask

Whether coming out surprises you or not, you will probably have a lot of questions. This is absolutely understandable and will happen to the vast majority of people. And yet, not all questions are appropriate at all times. This can have different reasons: Maybe the questions are too personal or intimate. Maybe you could answer some of the questions yourself after a moment's thought; maybe your counterpart has had to answer the same questions a thousand times in previous coming outs; but maybe your questions are not a problem at all. You can't know, that's why: Ask if you may ask.

3. No third-party outing

A person has come out to you. Now you want to go out and tell more people because you know they will react positively too. That would make a lot of things easier, wouldn't it? And yet it's not a good idea! There might be good reasons against coming out that you don't know about.

And anyway: The decision when and how and to whom a coming out takes place is solely up to the person it concerns. The only exception is if you have explicit permission to tell others.

You've read this far? Congratulations! You now know the most important things to be well prepared for your WELCOMING OUT.

Now it's time for the concrete implementation: There are many possibilities for your WELCOMING OUT.

  • You can pick up our free merchandise at many places in Hamburg. You can find an overview here.
  • And of course you can also buy something in our online shop.
  • If you think that WELCOMING OUT is a really good cause that you want to support, we are also happy about small and big donations. Feel free to spread the word.

We wish you all the best for your WELCOMING OUT and keep our fingers crossed that it will result in the good feeling mentioned at the beginning for you and for others.

It’s
your turn!

You want to support us, you want to read the important basics again or you want to order our free merchandise and have your own WELCOMING OUT? Then click on the respective button. Of course you can also write us a nice message.

Bitte drehe deinen Bildschirm