The world of celebrity has been growing more inclusive and supportive of the LGBTQ community. From Ellen DeGeneres coming out in real life to fictional characters like Kurt from “Glee” coming out of the closet, there are more positive representations of queer people than ever before. Even celebrities have begun opening up about their sexuality. Unfortunately, not everyone is accepting. In fact, some celebrities remain in the closet because they fear being shunned by friends or fans for being openly gay. However, every now and then a new celebrity comes out as part of the LGBTQ community and brings with them another layer of representation that has been lacking until now. In recent weeks, one such celebrity has come forward with their identity: Thomas Guest, son of Jamie Curtis and great-grandson of Lillian Gish. Although his mother is straight and his father is married to someone else, Mr. Guest reveals in an interview with New York Magazine that he identifies as transgender at age 30; he explained that he had known since high school but kept it private until now because he feared reprisal from family members and society at large. Whether society will embrace or reject him remains to be seen; fortunately, his parents appear supportive so far! Read on to learn more about Thomas’s story as a young man who refuses to see himself as limited by anyone’s imagination or expectations…
Thomas Guest Comes Out as Transgender
While Mr. Guest identifies as gay, he has always felt that he was assigned the wrong gender at birth. For most of his life, he has identified as a lesbian. However, in recent years, he has come to identify as transgender. “I’ve always felt like a woman,” he reveals to New York Magazine. “I’ve always felt that the label of ‘gay man’ was not the right label for me.” One reason why he may have identified as gay is that he has always been attracted to men. In fact, he dated a man for two years before breaking up and coming out as trans.
Growing Up Thinking He Was Gay Or Lesbian
Growing up as a member of a famous family, Mr. Guest had a difficult time figuring out his identity. “I was just trying to survive,” he says. “There were so many expectations. I was trying to figure out who I was and what my place was in this world.” While he was attracted to men, he was also very much a woman. Finally, in 2016, he realized that he was transgender. “I had been in and out of therapy countless times as a child and as a young adult,” he says. “I had no framework for why I was feeling a certain way.”
Deciding To Come Out As Trans And Why Now?
After he broke up with his gay partner, Mr. Guest immediately started dating female partners again, but they kept ending in disaster. Finally, he realized that he was going through the motions, not really connecting with anyone. “I just couldn’t connect to anyone romantically as a lesbian,” he says. “I didn’t feel that spark.” At last, he realized that he was trying to convince himself that he was a lesbian, but he actually wasn’t. “For the first time in my life, I wasn’t trying to convince anyone or myself,” he says. “I felt a connection that I hadn’t felt before.”
How Society Shapes Our Sense Of Self
Mr. Guest believes that society’s ideas about gender are largely to blame for the fact that he believed himself to be a lesbian rather than trans. “We have a very binary idea of gender,” he says. “There’s no room for fluidity or gray areas.” Even though he knew that he felt more like a woman than a man, he tried to convince himself that he was a lesbian. “We live in a society that is very binary,” he says. “Even when I was in therapy, they were like, ‘Maybe you just haven’t found the right guy yet.’”
Advice For People Struggling With Their Identity
Mr. Guest urges other people who are struggling with their identity to find a therapist and talk through their feelings. “People should talk about what’s on their mind,” he says. “Not everything is ‘curable’ or ‘fixable’ or ‘manageable.’ You should talk about what’s bothering you and what you’re feeling.” Most importantly, he urges others to be patient with themselves as they work through their identity. “There’s not a time limit on that,” he says. “You don’t have to have an epiphany one day and say, ‘This is it!’”
Conclusion
Mr. Guest hopes that his story will help other people to feel more comfortable with their own identities. He urges people to take the time to get to know themselves and not to rush into coming out. “I think it’s important for people to take their time and figure out what it is they’re feeling,” he says. “Be kind to yourself, be patient with yourself.”