I am quite young - 15 - and would like to come out to my Mum and only her (and maybe a few friends for the moment) but I don't know how to start the conversation.
I know most people's preferred methods are sitting them down and talking to their parents face-to-face, but this isn't always the case; sometimes it's better to let it come out in part of a regular conversation. You'd be surprised how many opportunities I got to come out, and I never took them - in the end I was outed by my older sister. Maybe you could bring up a celebrity/friend/acquaintance that is LGBT, and ask her opinion. Or maybe bring up news to do with LGBT, or an article. Test the waters. But if your mum is very understanding you could just start with something like, "I've wanted to tell you this for some time, but I now feel ready...mum, I'm gay." When I told my dad, I tried to show him I trusted him(and maybe I tried to flatter him) by saying, "I want you to be one of the first to know." Or "I trust you to accept me when I tell you this, but..." It's completely personal, there's no 'right' way of doing it, it depends on the person and your own instincts! Good luck.
Thanks very much for your advice! The thing that worries me is the fact that she sometimes says things which I regard to be very slightly homophobic but not overly. I am worried about how she will react.
As I said, testing the waters is a helpful thing to do, but it can depend on your situation. If she is opinionated(has strong views) then I wouldn't come out to her until you're a stable situation and have a backup plan. It doesn't sound like she would though, as it's quite extreme to do such a thing! I think lack of knowledge about homosexual people can lead to the homophobia you're describing. If she knew that her own son was going through the same thing, and she'd loved him no less the whole time, then it shouldn't be hard to gradually turn her views around. If she hasn't guessed you're gay, then that can be used in your defence("I'm still the same, I just like guys" kind of thing). That being said, try not to argue, rather, try to educate!
I came out to my mom by sending her a long email . I thought that was easier than telling her face to face. That's just an idea though
