I received an ARC of this anthology in exchange for participating in the review blog tour.

This charity anthology collects a number of various stories centered around the theme of (Not) Coming Out. As already stated in the summary of this anthology it contains stories across genres from poetry to short fiction (mainly contemporary fiction, one historical fiction, sadly nothing that really dove into speculative fiction, which I think could have added an interesting layer) to memoir and essay pieces as well as a variety of voices from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum, including explorations of aromanticism and aegosexuality, as well as multiple trans identities (including one trans woman).
Some of the stories are uplifting and focus on community and acceptance (We Exist - Nil Digante, Stereotypes & I Love You - Samantha Maich, 3 in 4 - Robyn Hill), others are about being closeted, exploring both the potential benefits (The Closet - Breanna Guinta & The Gates - Sarah Fletchins) and the downsides (Bullies - Brandon Shane, A Life Lived in Secret - Kate Foot & Cruising - Felix Graves), which I found interesting, as that is something that is often only portrayed as inherently negative.
My favorite pieces in here were Kaylee in Love by Priscilla Kint (a short story following a young lesbian pining for a straight girl, while it is rather typical in its portrayal of being gay in highschool, I really did enjoy the exploration of knowing that this is not a relationship that can happen but being content for the time being because for now it is what the MC needs), Unspoken Birdsong by Airic Fenn (a short poem about not coming out to parents as trans* and finding identity in just being yourself unspoken and letting people react to it), Baby Steps by Sky DuVall (a story about a trans man's slow internal coming out and about the fact that coming out can also be a journey instead of a sudden realization), A for Effort by A Lynn Rosefinch (a short lyrical exploration of finding a word for being Aegosexual and experiencing sexual attraction in a way that is considered to be unusual) and Quite the Actor by Felix Graves (a short poem about a trans man coping with an emotionally abusive mother, while finding strenght in the fact that her complete ignorance of his actual identity refutes some of the negative things she believes about him).
And while not all of the other stories worked for me (some where not my style of literature, others (especially some of the poems) were just incredibly short), I still found myself enjoying the stories here, touched and moved by some and entertained by others, and if you're looking for a queer anthology exploring the theme of Not/Coming Out in a variety of facets you will find it here and I can definitely recommend checking this anthology out!

This review is also published on my blog t4treads!