I’m in high school, and I think I might be gay. I’ve never really been interested in girls and I thought maybe I just wasn’t as interested in dating as other guys my age, but then I realized I kinda like this one guy at school. I’m not sure if I’m gay, but I’m starting to think I might be. I always pictured gay people as being really different from me, so it’s weird to think I might be…. This is all so weird and I want to tell someone, but I’m scared if I talk to any of my friends about it, it’ll freak them out, and I have no idea how my parents will handle it. I don’t want anyone to see me or treat me any differently.
-Questioning
Dear Questioning,
Thank you for reaching out! Discovering your sexual orientation can be a scary process, especially when you’re trying to figure it out by yourself. It’s ok to not be ready to label yourself yet. Sexual orientation is rarely black and white. There is great resource for LGBTQ and questioning youth called The Trevor Project. They have a 24/7 hotline, chat and text service, and a social networking site www.trevorspace.org for LGBTQ and allied youth worldwide. Does your school have a gay/straight alliance or some sort of LGBTQ group? If you don’t feel comfortable going to a group at your school, you could check to see if there are LGBT Q community centers nearby that offer groups where you could meet and talk to others who are going through similar experiences.
Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help. You’re not alone!
Sincerely,
Ally