Who knew how liberating a cake could be when it came to the LGBTQ+ life. Coming out to my parents was no easy feat and each layer of that cake was a layer of obstacles I had to face, but when all is said and done, the reward was just as sweet.

I had been planning it for maybe two or three weeks. My sweet sixteen was coming up and it seemed like the perfect time. My one friend, who will remain nameless, was also in on my little scheme. In fact, she was the one who started it after showing me an Instagram post. The post was about someone who came out to her parents while eating pizza after declaring “This pizza is for gay people,” and then proceeded to take a giant bite out of it, followed by her brother.

Sounds weird, right?

But I decided to take a similar route, but I am not a pizza fan, so I did not know what I was going to do until a week later. I was going to bake my birthday cake!

On my 16th birthday, my friend and I spent all afternoon baking a three-layered lemon raspberry cake. We measured the flour, poured the batter, and iced the cake. It seemed like days to us, but, in reality, it only took a few hours.

We may or may not have also eaten a gallon of leftover icing.

The night of my birthday the lights were turned off and the candles lit. I was so nervous that I had butterflies in my stomach and throat, but I had my friend right there beside me and I knew she would stay there with me the entire way. As I closed my eyes and blew out the candles, I made my wish: Please accept me.

My dad cut the cake and behind the layer of white icing was a blend of colors. Each layer was dyed and together they formed the lesbian flag. Orange, white, and purple.

My parents looked at us and the words finally came out. “Mom, Dad, I am lesbian.”

They simply looked at me and smiled. I knew right then and there that my wish came true.

I am grateful that I was born into an accepting family because not everyone gets this happy ending. It is still taking them time to get used to it, though. Just the other day, my sister was going out with her boyfriend. My siblings and I were begging them to bring back food. As soon as I asked, “Can I have a drink?” my sister snapped back “Get your own boyfriend,” before she could even think.

She turned cherry red as my mom and I started laughing hysterically.

“Would that I could,” I said with a smile. I got my drink and a great inside joke.