Coming Out?

As you grow more comfortable with your sexuality, you may begin thinking of coming out and telling your family about your orientation. As with any “bad news”, your parents will go through a series of stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally, acceptance.

There is no right way to come out of the closet. There is no handbook to guide you through the process. You know your family best and will have to decide on the course that will cause them the least amount of upset.

Some people have found that reaching out to a supportive and understanding sibling, or other relative can be helpful. Remember each family is unique and special in one form to another. Here are some links where you can find information on how others have come out:

• http://www.outproud.org/brochure_coming_out.html
• http://www.ehow.com/how_17146_come-parents.html
• http://www.wsmsh.org.uk/coming-out/index.html