Hi O,
Thanks for your letter.
It sounds like youre clear about your own sexuality, but that youre feeling stuck because the other people in your life seem so anti-LGBT. Im really glad that you felt able to write to me about it.
Its important to know that its never OK for anyone to judge you because of your sexuality. I can imagine its been scary thinking about other peoples reactions to you being bisexual. When you say that you feel both worried and ashamed it sounds like its been something thats been difficult for you to accept yourself.
People become aware of their sexuality and sexual feelings at different ages. Theres no right or wrong sexual orientation to have. Being bisexual doesnt change the person that you are and its never something to be ashamed of.
You have as much right as anyone else to be honest about who you are. Unfortunately, as youve found, some people have unfairly negative attitudes towards the LGBT community. This can often be a result of ignorance or fear. It doesnt mean that there is anything for you to be ashamed about. It also doesnt mean that everyone else you meet will feel the same.
Telling the people in your life about being bisexual (sometimes called coming out) can be an incredibly difficult thing to do if youre worried about their views on being LGBT. Its completely up to you in terms of when or if you choose to tell people. However, its important to think about keeping yourself safe if you do decide to tell people who might not react positively.
Sometimes it can be good to start by choosing just one person in your life that youd feel most comfortable telling. It could be someone in the family, a friend or even an adult you trust. When youre not sure how someone might react, you could start by trying to bring more general sexuality issues into the conversation (e.g. by asking their opinion on same sex marriages).
It might be useful for you to have a look at the page on Sexual orientation in Explore, or to have a read through the Sexual identity message board where other young people talk about their experiences with being LGBT.
If you wanted to talk a bit further about your concerns, it might be a good idea to think about talking to a Childline counsellor. You can contact them by logging on for a 1-2-1 chat (which works like instant messenger), by calling on 0800 1111 (its free and wont show up on the phone bill) or by sending them an email.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
