Here are a few other organizations where you can find supportive communities and so much more: Read up on the difference between things like gender identity and sexual orientation so you can get a better grasp of what's going on in your head and heart. As we all know, it's so hard to describe what you're feeling when you don't have the language to capture it. Also, take a look at their glossary of terms. For one, check out GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, to find out how you can get involved in your community. There are so many incredible resources where you can find support. You might be wondering if you're gay, but you don't have anyone in your life to turn to with questions and concerns. Dig into it! Know where you can go to get support.
Read a book that highlights a dimensional queer narrative (you can find a list of them here) and binge-watch TV shows that feature compelling LGBTQ characters. For example, listen to podcasts like Nancy and find friendship in incredible hosts who provide insight into issues and ideas that are important to you. If you find that you're not in a position to come out publicly and you feel isolated as a result of that, try to incorporate queer voices into your private life. Bring queer voices into your life.Ĭoming out can feel very lonely at first.
If you feel unsafe, it's perfectly fine to wait it out. You're not being untrue to yourself if you are in a situation where self-preservation is necessary. If it's ever unsafe for you to be out, take that into consideration. Your safety means everything, and sometimes being out might make you feel like a target. Don't punish yourself for doing the legwork to figure out who you are. What your sexual orientation or gender identity feels like today might not be how it will feel in 1 year or 10 years. Things change and evolve as you grow, and that's 100% ok.
You're going to come out so much in the course of your life (in college, on dates, when you meet new people, etc.), and each time you do, you get to define where you are with your identity in that moment.Īnd, while we're on the topic, cut yourself a little slack in the coming out department, ok? Can you imagine if every feeling you had at the age of 12 became something that was set in stone? If that were true, you'd be a vet with a purple race car and a cabinet full of Sour Patch kids wondering how you got to this point in your life. Story continues Your feelings might change, and they might not.Ĭoming out for the first time can feel so final, but it's actually not the end (it's just the beginning!). As long as you're listening to yourself, you can't go wrong. And ever since that day, there have been a million more steps as I've acquired more language to describe myself and my identity. I must be gay.' Just like that.Īnd you know what? The world didn't end and I didn't feel like a totally different person - I just felt like I had taken a small step towards who I truly am inside. And then I actually dated a girl, and I realized that it felt the same as dating a guy but better. I kissed girls and I liked it, but I still liked guys. But, tbh, the process was a lot quieter than that. I kept waiting to be hit by some bolt of lightening that would show me that I was undeniably, 100%, totally, purely gay. There's a huge leap from "I feel a little different" to "I'm a masculine-of-center genderqueer gay woman." I remember kissing girls in high school, and then in college, but having boyfriends along the way. Everyone is welcome to the table, and you're bound to meet some pretty incredible humans once you take a seat. Your body can be any size and you can be gay. It includes people of every race and religion. What's truly beautiful about being in the LGBTQ community is that it is so expansive. If you're thinking that you might be gay, then know that you have a whole built-in support group of wonderful and diverse people who are just waiting to meet you. Here are some things to keep in mind if you're thinking you might be gay: You're not alone. You can't ask a teacher or a parent or your best friend or Google or even Seventeen and get a "yes" or a "no." And while it would be so nice to shake a magic 8 ball and get some clarity here, it's actually crucial for you to come to the answer all on your own. Why? Because it's a question only you can answer. "Am I gay?" It sounds like such a simple question, but finding the answer can be so much trickier than you might think.