Whatever age you are when you realise you are attracted to members of the same sex, it can be both difficult and easy to come out. Telling yourself, telling your family and friends comes with many challenges and rewards.
At the bottom of this page is a list of resources and support services and just below is a few jargon terms to help you understand the minefield that is LBQ life!
The language used can also be confusing, so below are a few key terms and language types.
Celesbrity
An LBQ woman who is a celebrity within the community
Celesbian
A celebrity who is also a lesbian
Queer
Queer is an umbrella across gender and sexual preference, that is not heterosexual and not defined as cis.
LBQ
Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer
LGBT
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered
Gender
male, female and non-binary
Sexual Preference
lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual
Sexual Orientation
cis, trans, intersex
Pronouns
The English pronouns he and she are gender-specific third-person personalpronouns. The English pronoun they is an epicene (gender-neutral) third-person pronoun that can refer to plural antecedents of any gender and, under certain circumstances, to a singular antecedent that refers to a person.
If you are unsure what pronoun someone is happy to use, you can either use 'they' as a default gender (think about when you get a written phone message that Sam rang - if you don't know who Sam is you would say 'they rang', because you don't know if Sam is a male or a female - so technically it is the default pronoun!). Ideally, you would ask the person 'what pronoun do you prefer'? If in doubt, ask!
Resources
Below are some support resources available to you to make it easier.
supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans homeless young people
information & advice for gay, lesbian, bisexual & unsure under twenty-fives. BGIOK is all about common sense, no nonsense advice & information, cutting through the stereotypes and bigotry, & helping young people feel better about their sexuality & about the person they are beyond that
London Lesbian & Gay Switchboard (LLGS) provides an information, support and referral service for lesbians, gay men, bisexual people and anyone who needs to consider issues around their sexuality
Mosaic LGBT Youth Project provides you with the opportunity to meet other young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or think they might be, aged 13 to 19, every week in a North West London location
specialist registered Company offering coaching and advice to those leaving heterosexual relationships for same sex ones
