Share your stories in “Coming Out Through the Decades”

When an individual comes out, the revelation usually stays relatively private – family, friends, coworkers.

Until Nov. 15, “Coming Out Through the Decades,” at the Stonewall Gallery in Wilton Manors offers individuals the chance to publically proclaim the story of their sexuality through video recordings and short written messages.

And the stories given so far, written on the walls of the gallery and organized into decades for the era person came out, are as varied as the individuals who tell them – “calming,” “liberating,” “no big deal,” “scary,” “exhilarating” and “Ha! They knew before I did!”

For Darren Preucil, a Stonewall volunteer, coming out “was an evolution” that “shocked” his ex-wife.

It was an evolution that came to fruition in 1990, when he was 29.

“I always thought it would go away.” But when he realized it wouldn’t, he had to act. “’I said, ‘I got to do something or I’m going to be trapped.’” And when he finally did, he realized it wasn’t the end. “The world didn’t stop. Everything’s OK.” As for the reaction of friends and family, “They were fantastic. My mom, she just gave me a big hug.”

Stonewall Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and located at 2157 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors. For more information, visit Stonewall-Museum.org.