Those Tough Teen Years
Almost all teens feel the pressure of adolescence, but for gay teens who can't be honest about who they are, this pressure can be intensified.
Challenges to Staying Closeted
Not coming out, or "staying in the closet" can be tough for a lot of reasons. As a teen writing to the forum says:
"i feel so alone right now in this stage of my life. i don't have any gay friends to relate to, i cannot find any gay guys that interest me or any gay guys in general. i'm almost positive my family knows i'm gay and now they are acting weird and distant towards me. sometimes i just want to shout out to everyone that i'm gay so i dont have to continue pretending i'm straight and so i can get this burden off my shoulders. i hate lying all the time but i know that if i tell my family, my dad would be so disappointed as if i purposely made this choice in spite of him."
A lot of people don't understand the difficulties involved in hiding your true sexual orientation. But as this teen makes clear, having to deny who you are is no walk in the park.
Benefits to Coming Out
There are many reasons that it can benefit gay teens to come out.
Here are a few:
- Coming out can be very freeing because you no longer have to live a lie.
- Once you are out you can feel more confident meeting other GLBT teens and participating in GLBT community life.
- Coming out can help you get appropriate support if you need it.
- The more people who come out, the more normal being gay becomes to the mainstream world.
Do What's Best for You
Every GLBT teen will have to decide when, and if, it makes sense to be open about their sexual orientation. But it is important to realize that staying closeted can pose as many challenges as can coming out.
