Input needed: Most useful info you got from EC that helped you accept yourself?

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

The most important tidbit for me was knowing I was born gay and no one or nothing could change that. It kept me going and starting the coming out process although it took awhile to accept I was born gay at first.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

Everything can and will get better but sometimes it takes time and it always takes action.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

To know that I don't have to pressure myself to decide for a label and can just accept myself (and orientation) a bit more each day.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

That public perceptions toward LGBT people are changing day by day, and that clinging to homophobia is largely confined to religious nutjobs.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

Reminding myself that I'm not changing anytime soon, and that if I plan on being alive for very long I'm going to have to be comfortable with who I am.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

Some kind of feeling for what rings true...
a kind of feeling this is me...

things kept in memory... scenes that could not be forgotten, with a feeling they have a meaning...
passages from books, scenes from tv, texts from the internet
Different from angst ridden feelings, a feeling this is for me...

history... the knowledge there were always people like us...
even revered in old times for use as intermediaries...

reading of stories, and watching a few good movies

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

Youtube. Youtube. Youtube.

My own medication whenever I'm feeling low… rose ellen dix, ellosteph, bria and chrissy, gaygod, tyler oakley, troye sivan… the list goes on.

Those guys have helped me through some bad times. Not sure whether this was answering your question, but these vloggers are so important to spread awareness and their words reach so many corners of the world, touch so many people and show that little scared kid in the bible belt that you can be gay and ok!!

Also, tv series with gay characters… particularly Faking It

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

My brain's failure to even accept the idea of me being happy with a straight woman in a normal (by society's standards) relationship. I simply found boys more interesting, they made my heart race.

Not giving a !@#$ about what people think, does help with accepting yourself for who you are, because then you stop feeling pressured to pretend/hide because of the silly opinions of others.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

edit: ...

Value yourself more than you value the opinion of others. That's my tip for the day.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

I think the biggest thing was seeing that there were other people who feel the exact same way I do, and that this weird complex of feelings that I have is common enough to have a name.

I've known gay people IRL, but never had much exposure to transgender people, so I was woefully ignorant about it. For instance, I never realised that gender and sexual orientation are two different things, that a transwoman can be a lesbian and a transman can be gay, or that gender can be a spectrum, and that cross-dressing and being trans are not the same thing.

It was also good to learn that being bisexual really is a thing, and not necessarily just a way to be in the closet.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

Talking about how I felt helped me a lot, especially talking to people who were going through the same thing that I was experiencing. Also, being honest with myself about my feelings and realizing that it was something that I had to accept because they weren't going away.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

I always knew I was weird (read free spirit, independent thinker) in a general sense. I never followed the crowd. I knew as a kid that I couldn't change that, that I wouldn't be comfortable changing that, and I haven't really tried to. That has meant less friends, less tangible success, and less accumulating the things people aspire to accumulate in life. However, the fact that there are some people (family, relatives, friends, and casual acquaintances) who like my weirdness, on various levels, have made it ok for me. It's a quality over quantity issue. A smaller number of genuine people in one's corner is way better than a larger "collection" of not as genuine people in one's corner. As for therapy, sometimes its value has been that it has enabled me to get through some very tough and contentious times ... and that's ok. That has value, too!

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

Realizing religion was a fraud.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

In terms of understanding my sexuality, the question "where do your eyes naturally wander when walking down the street? was the most enlightening for me.

Someone once posted that to tell yourself "i'm gay and i'm not okay with it" is not a bad thing and it is a start on the process of acceptance. When I read that it really helped me realise that so many people have experienced the same emotions.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

The It Gets Better Project.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

Youtube is a very powerful thing.

I hope all the wonderful LGBTQ+ youtube know that.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

When I was twelve I knew that my lack of attraction to guys could mean two things. I'm either gay or a late bloomer. For a while I just considered myself a late bloomer. I still noticed that I had feelings for girls, but I constantly told myself I was just admiring them.

When I was fourteen I started meeting some gay people. They seemed cool. I also didn't want to be a late bloomer. At that point being gay seemed better than being a late bloomer. I've been in special ed for my whole life, so I have a lot of anxiety about being slow.

 

Re: Input needed: What were the most useful bits of info that helped you accept yours

I'm struggling to learn how to accept myself by my definitions not those created by the society as a whole... including the LGBT community. I hate stepping on toes but I wont find the strength to come out until I trust myself enough to reject views, regardless of their source, that dont fit my standard of integrity! Not being preachy here, its just I think this will be a hurdle for me as I can be a real wimp sometimes! :eusa_doh: (&&&)

So, the specific information I needed was learning even more about the diversity within the LGBT community. This group, although diverse has its internal disagreements! To fully join the LGBT community, I'll likely have to not "closet" those disagreements!?

Thank for posing this question Chip!

---------- Post added 20th Dec 2014 at 11:41 PM ----------

Please dont be sad! (&&&)