Advice for LGBTQ+ Teens

"You are valid and loved and exactly who you are whether you're visible or not."

5 amazing LGBTQ+ people share their coming out advice.

Happy LGBTQ+ #PrideMonth!!!

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[SeventeenMagazine]

What advice would you give to LGBTQ+ teens around the world?

[emmaleighgrace]

i live in such an unaccepting homophobic environment surrounded by homophobic people everywhere i go and it's just so unsafe to come out. i see people with accepting parents and friends or straight people and just sob because why are they allowed to love who they want but i can't??

[yeptsm]

I'm in the closet with the door slightly open and I really want to come out because it looks so exciting and colorful out there.

[mathistan]

So I came out to my mom recently hoping she'd accept me. Finding out how wrong I was, that hurt like hell. I took my safety gor grsnted that day and now I'm deeper in the closet thean ever.


Edit: It's been a year...wow. First of all, thank you for all the love and support you've all sent my way. As for my parents, I've kinda made peace with the fact that my mom will be in a state of eternal denial, my dad will never know lest I get kicked out of the house. Believe me when I say that his mind cannot be changed, truth be told it's taking all I've got just to keep my head on my shoulders.

[Incidental]

I am flighting for gay rights in my school my teacher once said "in my 25year career i never seen a teen as brave as you"

[drecksilexi]

Sigh... My mom outed me to my WHOLE family. Fml

[that_cat]

It’s nice to hear that it’s okay to stay in the closest for a while just to figure things out. I’m out to three friends as “not straight” and “probably bi”, one of which is bi, one is pan and the other is straight - but the person that my pan friend came out to first and who is honestly such a nice and understanding person (tbh she’d say the same about me) - and it does feel good to have someone to talk to.

[acroissant]

Every time I start to feel like my family is ok with the LGBTQ+ community, they say some homophobic sh*t that throws me deeper into the closet...

[cm]

I'm 16 and I'm a closeted lesbian. I live in a very small close-minded town and words can't describe how alone I feel at times. It's horrible having to hide so much of myself from the people I'm closest to. Every time I'm around my friends (especially when we're talking about dating) I feel like I'm holding my breath but hyperventilating at the same time. Everyone else has had their first kiss but I haven't even held hands with anyone. I feel like I'm missing out on so many experiences that I would have had if I was straight. I'm not wishing I wasn't gay, in fact I'm fully comfortable and accepting of myself and identity, but life would be so so so much easier and enjoyable than it is now if I could just fit in.

[twentynepizzasatthedisco]

I want to come out to my best friend but she tells her mum everything and i know she'll tell her mum and her mum might tell my mum so im gonna wait till i come out to my parents (that'll be a loooonnnggggh time)

[arsonhycan]

Opens with “you are valid”






hA jokes on you, I expired two years ago!!

[RavensRedWings]

Ever since I came out, LOADS of people in my class came out too!

[O_Oz]

I came out to my mom recently. And the next thing I know she recorded love simon for me. She is a really religious Christian. I am too. But for her to do that spoke louder than any words.
It's a step in my direction. And I'm so grateful to her for it. I worried so long and next thing ya know. Honestly, It still makes me happy as hell.

[Fatima-uejt]

I'm extroverted and outgoing. I'm an artist. I'm going to be a freshman at the end of this summer. I love kpop and.... I'm queer. I have a girlfriend, but I'm one only foot out of the closet. I live smack dead in the middle of Texas. ( not literally but I'm Texan ) The middle school that I went to was pretty accepting or more accurately the students were. So I was pretty open about my sexuality, but now I'm going to high school and I'm scared that I have to go back into the closet. You see, I was born in/ am being raised by strict Muslim family. Which basically means my parents will never accept my sexuality no matter what and I know that I will be disowned the moment I come out to them. Tho, my entire family isn't homophobic. I've come out to my little sister and she was like "I could care less about your sexuality I still hate you the same." She's a hoot. Also, I have an older bisexual cousin (who's out to everyone but her parents) When I told her about my worries and how I wanna come out, she told me to hold my horses. Said I should stay very closeted and told me how she was almost outed in high school and that I had never experienced life-threatening or like seriously outrageous homophobia. She told me that some people are fake and they'll try to use my sexuality against me. I believe her and I know she wants to protect me but I don't want to leave my girlfriend or "act straight." What do y'all think I should do?

[forgor]

I'm in a goddamn schrodinger's closet - no one can tell if I'm gay or just a really good ally.

[dylanobrienswife]

I’m 14 and I’m non binary and pansexually. My mom, dad and stepdad are raging homophobic but I’m closer to my mom and coming out makes cry bc we never had the best relationship but she wants us to get closer but I know if I tell her she wouldn’t be supportive. My mom, dad and stepdad told me they don’t support it before I found out so it’s hard knowing my mom wants a closer relationship even tho she won’t accept me if I tell her but this makes me happy knowing a whole community accepts and love me for who I am

[BoilingHotTea]

When coming out I was met with a "Yeah It's pretty obvious" ackk fml.

[marialyocampo]

I need to ask you something and I want you to be totally honest with me, it might be awkward after this but I have to know how you feel. I have kept this in for a long while and it's about time I was straight up and just confront you about it, I hope this doesn't ruin the friendship we already have, I just need to know and I can't see any other way to get over this, it just doesn't seem fair to me if I don't get an answer, I want you to tell me truthfully no matter what you say, I just want an honest opinion... Do you know the muffin man??

[townspersontree]

So I’m a lesbian and I have to tell a guy who asked me out to homecoming that I don’t want to go with him. How do I do this with out coming out?

[jacksepticeyesupergay]

Don’t come out in a very homophobic environment, sometimes it best to stay safe wait till your older and can move to a safer place…