What Do I Do?

Question:

Hey, Im Travis and i need some help. Im gay and i’ve been feeling like crud for some time now. I have been starting to accept myself, but i still feel sad. Im afraid of what my family would think of me when i eventually tell them. I dont have a whole lot of friends and my best friend is homophobic(if thats how you spell it) and very religious( not sure i spelled that right either). I would like to have someone who i could talk to about all this, but i dont. I dont know what i can do to make myself feel better. Can you please give me some help?

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Answer:

Trevor Staff

I’m glad you reached out to us for help. We really do care about you and we can help you to overcome your current situation. The fact that you have accepted your sexuality is a huge and very important step but now you really need to share your feelings and thoughts about this with others. It is not always easy to find people who are able to understand this so I strongly encourage you to check out Trevor Space (http://www.trevorspace.org) to connect with people who are going through the same situation as you. It is gonna be extremely helpful if you realize that you are not alone and what you are feeling is absolutely normal. Also, I would like you to reach us by phone, the free, confidential and 24-7 Trevor Lifeline at 866-4-U-Trevor. You can call anytime you want to talk to someone, day or night. You can also visit TrevorChat for a safe conversation with one of our trained volunteers (http://www.thetrevorproject.org/chat).

It is completely normal to feel hesitation in coming out to your family and friends. Before you decide to come out to your family, it would be a good idea if you have already contacted and shared experiences with other gay people to reinforce your acceptance and be ready to cope with this. The organization called Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) can be extremely helpful in answering difficult questions your family may have and guide parents to become more supportive and accepting of their loved one’s sexual orientation/gender identity.

Your “homophobic” friend, if he really cares about you, will have to become more understanding and accepting of you and it will be his great opportunity to become more open minded and free.

Best of luck!

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