I'm pretty sure I'm a lesbian. I've had feelings of attraction towards other women for quite a while now, but I always told myself that everyone else has these feelings because they would scare me so much. I finally admitted it to myself yesterday and felt so liberated. I've been reading online to make sure and most of what is written about being gay relates to me. I've felt so happy and free all day. But now I'm at home with my family and I feel so afraid. I don't know why. I'm even so scared just typing these words. My parents have always told me and my siblings that if we ever came out they would support us 100%. I just want to make sure that I really am gay before anyone finds out. My problem is that now that I've "come out to myself" I feel so excited and just want to launch myself in to the dating world - I've never really dated much in the past because guys made me uncomfortable and when relationships started to become real with them I would freak out. I really want to date other girls and I also want make sure I really am gay by going out with them. The problem is I don't know how to meet other lesbian girls without coming out to anyone. I don't want to go to a club by myself and I can't be set up without telling my friends or family that I'm gay, I just don't know if I'm ready yet. Is there a certain amount of time you have to wait after admitting this to yourself before you admit it to others? I just feel so lost and confused and scared, but strangely also excited. I know this is long, and I appreciate anyone who reads this and who could give me some advice.
Hello! To answer your question, I think a lot of people tend to wait after coming out to themselves before they do it to others. The reasons are usually that they are afraid of being rejected or being treated differently, they are not ready to take that step forward or they are still unsure about their orientation. However, this is not a fixed rule. As for dating, I suggest knowing LGBT girls from your area online. There are a lot of websites where you can do it. I know it might be a little frightening at first, but if you don't want to come out, that's the most suitable option in my opinion.
