Hey, I'm 13 years old and i'm trying to figure out how to come out of the closet to my friends and family. I'm not gonna lie, i'm scared. I'm afraid of what people are going to think of me. My sister said she wouldn't know what she'd do if her son was gay. And my brother said something about how all gays go to hell. I plan on coming out to my best friend this summer when I go to visit her, but I'll probably chicken out. I'll probably wait until I'm a few years older to come out I don't know. I've been binge watching Coming-Out videos all day and the reactions are mixed, some people flip out and some people are cool with it. I'm hoping that my family will understand and be there for me, but I fear that some of them will look down on me. Thank you for any advice you have. <3
Welcome to EC! :smilewave I find it brave of you, that you want to come out to some friends and family. It's obvious that coming out is a scary process. No matter how certain we might be, that someone will react in a positive way, we'll still feel scared of exposing something we might feel shameful about, or just something we have kept to ourselves. I think this is the case with you. You've been exposed to the idea that being gay is sinful, wrong, that you'll be punished, etc. The good thing, however, is that you have accepted yourself as gay and that, I think, is the biggest step to a good life. Now, the most important thing to remember is, you don't need to come out to anyone if you are not ready yet. That is something you should decide for yourself. What you have to keep in mind, though, is that you'll always feel a bit anxious, scared, nervous, etc, when you are going to come out. So, my advise for you is to take those feeling and use them as a fuel to give you the mental strength you need to accomplish it. It won't always be received with positive response, your coming out, but you'll never know what will happen if you don't give it a try. You might be surprised at how people's mindset can be/change when their family/a close friend is struggling with it. Be hopeful, careful, and do it at your own pace. Good luck! :icon_bigg You are one brave kid. (*hug*)
Hi and welcome to EC! So like Kabulki said, only come out if you are mentally ready. From what it looks like, it might be best to wait until you have moved out and are financially independent before you come out to your family. I say this because there have been instances where kids have been kicked out of there homes and/or losing collage scholarships because they came out. I'm not trying to scare you, that is just how things are. But you are the best judge of when you should come out to your family. As for coming out to your best friend, come out to them during a LGBT+ related conversation and keep the conversation going after you've told them. Good luck and be smart!
