Coming out is a pretty tricky thing, especially when you are a gay teenager. It might be easy for some that have a good support structure, but the experience is never the same across the board. If you really want to make sure that you are building the support network that truly works for you, you’re going to have to eventually “come out” to the people that you trust.
Assembling people that love you is pretty easy, but the situation gets complicated when you start realizing how many people are at odds with the GLBT community. Suddenly your standing with certain people in your life may change, and that can be a really sad experience. Instead of feeling like you have to hold this awful secret (which isn’t awful, by the way), you can let it out and step into the life that you were always meant to have.
The first thing you need to do is try to find someone that is already “out”. There are meetups for gay teens where you can connect. Even if you’re not trying to get into a new gay relationship, you should still consider going to these meetups. They really are a wonderful way to connect with people that have a common lifestyle thread with you. You will be able to find someone that you can come out to.
Just having one person know that you are gay can help ease any type of tension that you have on your mind. The other good part about starting slow is that you can get help on how to present the information to your family.
It’s very common for the families of gay teenagers to be a little surprised. They might feel like you are in the wrong to come out with such a big secret, but the truth is that you cannot absorb their feelings — no matter how tempted you are. They might feel that it’s a fad that you’re going through, but that might not be the case at all. Only you can determine if this is something that you’re going to explore for a long time, or something that you’ll eventually grow out of.
But right now, in the present moment, you really need to understand that there is nothing wrong with you. You are wonderful just the way you are, and if people cannot accept you in your new gay life, then they really aren’t quite the people that you thought they would be.
Putting these tips into practice might be difficult, but don’t worry — we’re just getting started on helping you out! Check back regularly for plenty of articles!
