Scarleteen

None of my friends or family know I'm a lesbian, I've been hiding it from them for almost 2 years now. I'm scared to let people know because I've always been a very closed and private person. I'm not happy with the persona I have built over the years and I want to be honest with everybody but where do I start? What if my family doesn't approve or what if I loose friends? How do you all of a sudden say your a lesbian? Please help.

Hi Mgcc,

It can definitely be an intimidating prospect to come out, and it would be disingenuous of me to say that sometimes coming out means losing people. But, on a more positive end, sometimes people can really surprise you and be super supportive. I think the place to start is by telling one or two people who think will be the most supportive, rather than trying to let everyone know all in one go. Do you have any thoughts on who those people might be for you?

I'll also give you this piece, as it's a great guide for how to come out: Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

Thank you I appreciate the advice! I'll definitely look into that article.

You're welcome! If you have any other questions or things you want to talk about, you can do that as well. I think we might also have a thread on the sexual identity part of the boards where people discuss their coming out stories, if that's something you'd find helpful.