Hi everyone, I noticed that we have had quite a few new users who identify as LGBTIQ+ so feel free to introduce yourself and hang out here! 
@unwind @nyke @anna_ambushed @Isaac2554 @Cheeseburger @Blurryphaced @SS_X @Tommy-420
Heya! Thanks for this. 17 and continuing year 12 at the end of January. I don’t really associate myself with a word under the letter of the alphabet, however I am attracted to males only. I don’t really like to use the G word. I’m not exactly comfortable in my sexuality because of both my religious background and just how I grew up but I’m trying to work through. I don’t really associate myself with LGBT or pride. It’s just because I’m not exactly comfortable and I’d rather be humble about my sexuality and not be known for it. I wouldn’t shout “I’m gay” off a rooftop and neither would any of my friends shout “I’m straight” and this is where I stand in agreeance. I’d rather be known for the things that are more important. Hope this doesn’t offend anyone. much love
- refer to my past posts for details about my past and how I’m coping
Well, I didn't even know this thread existed! Thanks for the tag @mrmusic
I'm 16 and just starting the HSC years. I've just started the coming out process, a few close friends know that I'm gay, but not much beyond that. I definitely agree with you @SS_X when you say that you'd rather be humble about your sexuality, and honestly I find it annoying that the "coming out process" has to be a thing. In saying that though, we have to give ourselves credit when we work up the courage to come out to someone. I know for me, when I was about 13-14, I promised that I would hide it FOREVER and just ignore the feelings as if they weren't there, and now I'm just realising that that's no way to live.
I personally find it really ironic that having sex is a very personal and intimate thing, yet there is so much value placed on who you're "in to" in today's society. Then I start to zooooom out of the picture, at the end of the day we're just animals roaming on Earth -- I don't know why there's so much conflict around the idea of two animals, of the same-sex, being attracted each other. What's the big deal?
I recently watched a interview with Yuval Noah Harari (Israeli historian/lecturer who has released best-selling books (which are rly rly rly good)) talking about being homosexual. Some great quotes I got out of it really got me thinking..
"When I was young, I was told that all boys are attracted to girls, and I believed that. It took me a long time to realise that this is just a story, invented by humans. And the reality is that some boys like other boys, and I happen to be one of them."
"People often say that it is 'unnatural' to be gay, that nature wanted males to love females, and females to love males, and gay people BREAK the laws of nature ... There is no such thing as unnatural behaviour. Anything that exists is, by definition, also natural."
But yeah, that's my introduction and thoughts, happy to chat here about this 
YAY @unwind SO PROUD of you for starting that process I know it must be hard so good on you!
I'm with you with the whole 'coming out thing' I personally don't identify as LGBTQ+ but having recently watched Love, Simon a particular scene really stuck out to me. It was Simon's friends coming out to there parents as straight. A reversal of coming out really put it in perspective for me and I realised that because LGBTQ+ isn't as big (correct me if I'm wrong) THEY have to do the tough stuff!
Thank you so much for sharing @unwind and sorry if that made no sense lol
Thank you 
@annabethxchase
Yeah, I totally get whatchu mean. Being straight is the norm, and therefore the expectation. Parents typically assume that their child will be attracted to the other sex, which is evidently not the case for everyone. I think "coming out" is quite challenging because, for people who don't like to break the norm or stand out (ie. myself, who suffers quite a bit with social anxiety), you've just got to break the norm. I don't think of myself as anyone special, I'm just a guy who likes other guys, but to some others I'm like a different type of human or something *shrug*.
And yeah, I LOVED that scene. It was even weird to watch it myself. I especially loved the reaction of Abby's mother 
. To anyone who's just crusing this thread, this is what we're talking about.
Also, I really think that the whole notion of "coming out" and "being closeted" needs to be removed from our society. If "coming out" wasn't a thing, it wouldn't be a milestone in my life, it really shouldn't be . I don't hear this view a lot, but I hope y'all see where I'm coming from. If we don't make "coming out" such an achievement in someone's life, it will stop being such a big deal, and therefore will stop making kids feel apprehensive and worried about coming out, yaknow?
Hehehe yeah the reactions were hilarious
Yeah gotcha! The stigma around coming out is really toxic
Religious schools are very strange @annabethxchase haha. I go to one as well, and I get what you mean. 90 per cent of the students saying negative things about the LGBTQ+ community can't justify why they are saying negative things, the main reason being "cuz bro that's f***ed", another one being "it's Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" , sometimes you've just gotta laugh at their reasoning. It's so unreasonable that a whole group of people are forced to experience a tougher reality with their sexuality than others because of made up stories. When Jesus founded Christianity, this was not what he had in mind haha.
And just to add the cherry on top, I placed first in Religion last semester. I found that quite amusing considering that, to many of my peers, I'm the antichrist of Catholicism 
Agreed @unwind!
Hehehe that's cool
