Guest post by headspace Ambassador Gus Johnston
As many of us are aware, the wonderful and popular Magda Szubanski recently ‘came out’. That is, for the first time in a public sense acknowledging that she ‘identifies as being gay’.
Reactions have been varied, some of us kind of already knew – it wasn’t as though she lived a secretive life, some of us may be surprised, and others of us might be asking ‘who really cares?’
Irrespective, the response, it seems has been one of positivity and love. Which is how it should be.
A question that often arises when someone actively chooses to ‘come out’ and talk about their sexuality and personal experiences like this, as I, myself did only 4 months ago, is ‘Why are they making such a big deal about it? Surely no-one cares about their sexuality in this modern age?’
Magda’s motivations are her own and probably quite complex, but a lack of equality in our marriage laws and the saddening statistics relating to GLBTI youth suicide were clearly impetus for her choice to come out now. In doing so she is providing a role model for others, one of an independent, funny and successful person who just so happens to be gay.
But for me the process of ‘coming out’ and sharing your true self with the world isn’t really about sexuality at all. How many of us can stand up and say we are completely honest with ourselves? How many of us have the courage to live our own lives and not the life that others expect of us?
Magda hasn’t just told us that she’s ‘gay’, she’s told us ‘this is who I am and I will NOT apologise’. Whether gay, straight, tall, short, skinny, fat, male or female, I reckon that’s something we should all aspire to. To have the courage to open our hearts and feel a sense of vulnerability when our society dictates that we should be strong and stoic. To open ourselves to criticism when we don’t fit the mould, to simply be true to ourselves. Because, this is what ‘coming out’ is all about. This is why we should care passionately when someone like Madga stands up, and why we should applaud her and admired her courage.
Because, imagine for a moment a world where our youth all felt the comfort and support of a society where they too could come out of their shells, speak from their hearts and fulfill every ounce of their potential. I don’t know, maybe I’m just a dreamer, but that sounds like a place we’d all be pretty proud of.
