Coming out is often a long journey that does not occur overnight, and everyone has a different story to share. Ultimately, the process helps individuals to live authentically and take pride in their gender or sexual orientation.<\/span><\/p>\n Jenny Brown, a second-year at Kapi\u02bbolani Community College, shared her experience of coming out as asexual and what it is like to be part of the LGBTQ+ community.<\/span><\/p>\n “It’s totally okay if you’re trying to figure things out,” Brown said. “You don’t have to know straight off the bat what you like and what you don’t like. The main thing is being sure of yourself regardless of what others say. As long as you know who you are you will be alright.”<\/span><\/p>\n As a middle schooler, she had no interest in dating and was content with her daily activities and friendships. Though as she transitioned into high school, she began to question herself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Jenny Brown is 19 years old and she is currently majoring in Natural Science with an Engineering Focus. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Brown)<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cIt progressed over time \u2026 dating wasn\u2019t really my thing,” Brown said. “Inside I knew that I was fine \u2026 I didn\u02bbt want a boyfriend because I wasn\u2019t interested.”<\/span><\/p>\n The 19-year-old said her parents and other peers used to ask why she did not have a boyfriend yet, to which she would say that she did not need one. However, there were still people close to her that insisted she would find someone eventually.<\/span><\/p>\n This past summer, Brown began to feel pressured by her mom to find someone to date because\u00a0 would be happier. As a result, she downloaded Tinder and Bumble to find a few dates. Despite having a few matches, her experience was uncomfortable.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, I asked myself what I was doing,” she said. “\u2026 I\u2019m not even into this, I don\u2019t even want this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n After learning more about the LGBTQ+ community, Brown was able to identify as asexual in her high school years.<\/p>\n As of today, she has only come out to some of her friends and has not yet revealed her asexuality to her parents. Brown believes that because asexuality is poorly understood her parents may be confused by what it means.<\/span><\/p>\n Asexuality is a type of sexual orientation where a person experiences little to no sexual attraction. There are asexuals who may experience sexual attraction while others have none at all. Additionally, asexual people may also be interested in having a romantic relationship, while others may be aromantic, which means they do not have romantic feelings.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all know what bisexual and gay mean, and there\u2019s also pansexual people,” said Brown. “\u2026 Those are prominent in the LGBTQ+ community, and I feel invisible because so many people tell me I will grow out of it or find the right one for me and change my mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n On the other hand, Brown received positive feedback from her friends when she shared her story with them.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOverall the majority of the responses were positive,” <\/strong>she said. “They were very accepting and basically told me they were glad that I\u2019m happy this way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Additionally, it is important to note that there is no right way to define one’s gender or sexual identity. There are many possibilities for people to associate themselves with rather than selecting and conforming to a single category.<\/p>\n \u201cSexuality is on a spectrum,” Brown said. “You can be on one end, in the middle, or on the other end. It\u2019s very diverse, and there is definitely room for people to explore what they\u2019re comfortable with.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kapionews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/unnamed-300x264.jpg\")