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10-11-2021, 01:27 PM
Jordan Daly says he was devastated after bullying at school led to someone outing him as gay to his family in a letter shoved through his letterbox.
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Coming Out Day - Jordan Daly - 26
Jordan Daly's decision to come out to his mum was cruelly snatched from him ten years ago.
The then aged 16 Glasgow schoolboy was horrified when a stranger found out he was gay and posted a note through the letterbox of his family home.
Jordan, now 26, told the Record: "Before my mum, I had only told a few friends and swore them to secrecy, my mum didn't know a thing.
"She came into my room holding the letter and was in total shock.
"She asked 'Is it true?
"It was terrifying, now my mum regrets how she reacted but it was a big shock.
"To be outed by a stranger was horrible."
Jordan knew he was gay aged 9 when he realised he had a crush on a male singer from his favourite band Steps.
"I remember really fancying Lee, not the girls," he added.
"I grew up in a generation where people would say 'that's so gay' if something was bad.
"At school being gay was a bad thing, it was the butt of the joke, we learned nothing about LGBTQ+ history or role models.
"There was no way I could fully accept who I was and come out to everyone."
Reaching 'breaking point' after a year of bullying from cruel classmates, a 13-year-old Jordan confided in his closest friend.
"I couldn't get the words out, I cried for an hour, I was so panicked.
"I finally came out, but swore her to secrecy. She was accepting but understood that nobody was to know."
After six months, Jordan told two more friends but still couldn't face telling his mum.
He said: "I had no control over the note that was stuffed through our letterbox, so I was forced to come out to her aged 16."
From then Jordan accepted his identity.
After leaving school Jordan began his work with Time for Inclusive Education (TIE); Scotland’s LGBT Inclusive Education charity.
TIE aims to combat homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools with LGBT Inclusive Education.
As TIE grew in scale, Jordan only had one other person he knew he had to come out to, his granddad.
"I hadn't felt ready before," he said.
"But I was 19 and I knew that my work with TIE was going to be in the newspapers.
"I was really scared but my granddad couldn't have been more supportive.
"He said 'I'm happy for you, I still love you.'
"Family have been amazing, I know I'm lucky.
"Now I never really feel like I have to come out or explain myself day-to-day.
"If people want to know about my sexuality, they can ask."
Backed by loved ones, Jordan is now the director of TIE.
Their hard work for inclusive education has paid off as just last month Scotland became the first country in the world to launch LGBT+ education in schools.
"Educating young people is so important," Jordan said.
"I felt I couldn't come out because in school being gay wasn't a good thing.
"To anyone trying to come out, coming out shouldn't have to be a thing, but what I would say is talk to someone.
"Not speaking about how I felt really affected me mentally.
"Protect your mental health and confide in loved ones."
National Coming out Day celebrates LGBT awareness on October 11 every year.
Coming Out Day - Jordan Daly - 26
Jordan Daly's decision to come out to his mum was cruelly snatched from him ten years ago.
The then aged 16 Glasgow schoolboy was horrified when a stranger found out he was gay and posted a note through the letterbox of his family home.
Jordan, now 26, told the Record: "Before my mum, I had only told a few friends and swore them to secrecy, my mum didn't know a thing.
"She came into my room holding the letter and was in total shock.
"She asked 'Is it true?
"It was terrifying, now my mum regrets how she reacted but it was a big shock.
"To be outed by a stranger was horrible."
Jordan knew he was gay aged 9 when he realised he had a crush on a male singer from his favourite band Steps.
"I remember really fancying Lee, not the girls," he added.
"I grew up in a generation where people would say 'that's so gay' if something was bad.
"At school being gay was a bad thing, it was the butt of the joke, we learned nothing about LGBTQ+ history or role models.
"There was no way I could fully accept who I was and come out to everyone."
Reaching 'breaking point' after a year of bullying from cruel classmates, a 13-year-old Jordan confided in his closest friend.
"I couldn't get the words out, I cried for an hour, I was so panicked.
"I finally came out, but swore her to secrecy. She was accepting but understood that nobody was to know."
After six months, Jordan told two more friends but still couldn't face telling his mum.
He said: "I had no control over the note that was stuffed through our letterbox, so I was forced to come out to her aged 16."
From then Jordan accepted his identity.
After leaving school Jordan began his work with Time for Inclusive Education (TIE); Scotland’s LGBT Inclusive Education charity.
TIE aims to combat homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools with LGBT Inclusive Education.
As TIE grew in scale, Jordan only had one other person he knew he had to come out to, his granddad.
"I hadn't felt ready before," he said.
"But I was 19 and I knew that my work with TIE was going to be in the newspapers.
"I was really scared but my granddad couldn't have been more supportive.
"He said 'I'm happy for you, I still love you.'
"Family have been amazing, I know I'm lucky.
"Now I never really feel like I have to come out or explain myself day-to-day.
"If people want to know about my sexuality, they can ask."
Backed by loved ones, Jordan is now the director of TIE.
Their hard work for inclusive education has paid off as just last month Scotland became the first country in the world to launch LGBT+ education in schools.
"Educating young people is so important," Jordan said.
"I felt I couldn't come out because in school being gay wasn't a good thing.
"To anyone trying to come out, coming out shouldn't have to be a thing, but what I would say is talk to someone.
"Not speaking about how I felt really affected me mentally.
"Protect your mental health and confide in loved ones."
National Coming out Day celebrates LGBT awareness on October 11 every year.
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