Coming out is when a person decides to reveal an important part of who they are with someone in their life. For many LGBTQ people, this involves sharing their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
Coming out isn’t always easy. After thinking it through, you may decide not to come out. You are valid and deserve support no matter who you do or do not share your identities with. Remember, there isn’t one right way to come out, and it’s YOUR choice.
The Trevor Project’s Coming Out: A Handbook for LGBTQ Young People, is a resource that covers a wide range of topics to support LGBTQ young people in exploring what coming out safely can mean for them. The handbook includes:
This reading list is an excellent starting point in your coming-out journey ahead, since many of the titles listed cover the process both for those who are navigating a new lifetime of being out and proud, and their significant others, friends, families, and allies as well. You can donate to PFLAG National by signing into Amazon Smile—smile.amazon.com—prior to purchasing any of these titles.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has provided multiple resources for parents concerning the development and health of LGBT children.
Gender Identity Development in Children
Gender-Diverse & Transgender Children
Parenting a Gender Diverse Child: Hard Questions Answered
Coming Out: Information for Parents of LGBT Teens
Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Teens: Facts for Teens and Their Parents
"Susan Cottrell, the Christian mom behind freedhearts.org, gives you 4 tips for coming out to your parents (as someone with two queer kids, she's been there before)."
"As a young person, learning about your own LGBTQ identity and coming out in a heteronormative and cisnormative world can be challenging. To help with the coming out process, we’ve compiled some key things for you to think about and consider as you begin to share your identities around sexuality and gender. This is not prescriptive, and your coming out journey(s) may skip around or return to other parts of the list. No two coming out stories are exactly the same; your coming out will be shaped by the supports that you have in school, at home, or in your community, and the privileges you hold in other aspects of your identity."
Representation is important, and coming out is a personal journey that looks different for everyone. "From a former GOP congressman to a Tony Award-winning actor, a long list of entertainers and notables came out as LGBTQ this year."
"The family shares the challenges and conflicts they faced surrounding Emily’s sexuality. Lifelong family friend Rosie O’Donnell reveals what made her come out and actress Michelle Rodriguez opens up about growing up bisexual as a Jehovah Witness." Find an article and the episode itself here.