Lifestyle
I’m Coming Out
LGBTQ+ History Month
What to say – and what not to say – when a loved one comes out as LGBTQ+
Coming out can often be a scary thing to do. Alysa Friedrich from MindOut, the mental health support charity for LGBTQ+ people, says, “It shouldn’t have to be a daunting, courageous thing but, in the current climate, it very much is.”
“It’s not a one-time deal either,” points out Charlotte Fountaine, founder of LGBTQIA+ mental wellbeing app Kalda. “As a queer person, you’re constantly coming out to different people in different settings. Talking about my bisexual identity was scary. But when I eventually started talking, I felt relief – who I am inside and who I see reflected outside were finally one.”
Even when confident of support, it’s not easy. “If you have the most lovely parents in the world, you still think about the what ifs,” says Poppy Saynor, who came out aged 14. “I first came out to a friend who identified as pansexual and they were very supportive. Luckily, coming out to my parents was underwhelming as they were so accepting.”