---
"title": "Personal Milestones in the Coming Out Experience"
"description": "The Pew Research Center’s survey of 1,197 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults asked respondents about three key points in their coming out journey."
"date": "2013-06-13"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Mark Hugo Lopez"
    "job_title": "Director, Race and Ethnicity Research"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/mark-hugo-lopez/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/social-trends/2013/06/13/the-coming-out-experience-age-when-you-first-thought-knew-told/"
"categories":
  - "LGBTQ Attitudes & Experiences"
  - "Personal Life"
---

# Personal Milestones in the Coming Out Experience

The Pew Research Center’s [survey of 1,197 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/social-trends/2013/06/13/a-survey-of-lgbt-americans/) asked respondents about three key points in their coming out journey—when they [first felt](#first-thought) they might be something other than straight or heterosexual, when they [knew for sure](#first-knew) they were LGBT and when they [first told](#first-told) a close friend or family member. The distribution of survey responses for each key point, along with medians, is shown below.

[![ST_13.06.13_LGBT_FirstThought](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2013/06/ST_13.06.13_LGBT_FirstThought.png?w=621){.align}](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/social-trends/2013/06/13/the-coming-out-experience-age-when-you-first-thought-knew-told/st_13-06-13_lgbt_firstthought-png/)

[![ST_13.06.13_LGBT_FirstKnew](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2013/06/ST_13.06.13_LGBT_FirstKnew.png?w=621){.align}](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/social-trends/2013/06/13/the-coming-out-experience-age-when-you-first-thought-knew-told/st_13-06-13_lgbt_firstknew-png/)

[![ST_13.06.13_LGBT_FirstTold](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2013/06/ST_13.06.13_LGBT_FirstTold.png?w=621){.align}](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/social-trends/2013/06/13/the-coming-out-experience-age-when-you-first-thought-knew-told/st_13-06-13_lgbt_firsttold-png/)