Dear Lauren,

While it’s tough enough being a high school senior, local and national behavior surveys consistently show that high school students who identify as gay/lesbian report more harassment, bullying, depression, and a number of other challenges. This is not because gays and lesbians are any less capable, but because of the ignorance and prejudice towards gays and lesbians in our society. Consequently, your reluctance to come out in fear that no one will accept you is certainly understandable. The lack of acceptance of gays and lesbians by the Catholic Church makes your situation even more challenging. Despite all of this, however, your own emotional well-being needs to be your highest priority. While the timing and strategy regarding coming out to your family and friends needs to be at your discretion, it’s a critical step in allowing you to become self-accepting and feel good about who you are as a person.

There are national and local resources available that can help you with this journey. Many high schools and colleges have groups like the Gay Straight Alliance, which were created specifically to provide needed support and validation for gay and lesbian students. If you are in a Catholic high school that doesn’t offer that resource, you would be welcome to attend at the local public high school. To learn more about the Gay Straight Alliance Network, visit their web site: gsanetwork.org. The GLBT National Help Center also offers a Youth Talkline provides telephone (1-800-246-PRIDE) and email (youth@GLBTNationalHelpCenter.org) peer counseling. All of these services are free and confidential.