Am I gay, bisexual or straight?
Men who are attracted to other men are usually called gay men, and women who are attracted to other women are called lesbians. People who like both men and women are called bisexual.
Understanding your sexuality and becoming comfortable with it can sometimes be confusing. There's no right way to work out what your feelings are, and even though some people know for certain whether they are gay or straight from a young age, others are much older by the time they know how they feel.
A lot of people are attracted towards a member of the same sex when they're growing up, but not all of them are bisexual, gay or a lesbian.
If you do think you may be gay, remember that there's no reason to feel embarrassed about it. You don't choose your sexuality, so there's no reason to feel that you're doing something wrong.
Coming Out
'Coming out', or 'coming out of the closet' means telling people about your sexuality. You may want to tell people about your sexuality if you feel comfortable, but don't feel you have to. You should make sure that you are ready, and comfortable telling people how you feel.
Only you will be able to judge when the right time to tell people about your sexuality is, so don't let anyone pressure you into doing it before you're ready. If you want to have a chat about this, or have any questions then you can get in touch by clicking on the 'Ask Tim' logo below.
Bullying
Unfortunately, a small minority of people can be bullied or victimised because of their sexuality. This can happen at school, college or at work or anywhere else.
If you are being bullied because of your sexuality, you do not have to accept it. Tell someone who can do something to stop it, like a teacher or another adult at school. You can also arrange a time to talk to someone here.
If it is a teacher who is bullying you, then you can report this to us by clicking on the 'Name and Shame Campaign' logo below. You don't have to give us your name to do this!
Remember that schools often have anti-bullying rules and policies, and there are laws to make sure that gay men and lesbians are not bullied or harassed at work.
We offer FREE, confidential services
- An under 18's youth group - FirstMove. If you want to know more, click here
- One-to-one support from experienced youth workers
- Under 18's Counselling
- A support service for your family offering advice and counselling
- A theatre project for London schools - click here for information on the schools programme
FirstMove
Coming to an LGBTQ youth group for the first time can be a difficult move, but it's important to remember that other people are in exactly the same boat as you.
People who come along to FirstMove want to meet new friends, and be somewhere where they can be themselves. If you are under-18, and want to come along to FirstMove, why not get in touch?
Be yourself
This project is for young people under 18 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or think they might be. Are you attracted to someone of the same sex or both? Are you comfortable being a girl or a boy? Do you want to be yourself and make new mates?
Be involved
You can be as involved as you like in the group – whether that’s coming to the group or making decisions about the group, what it does and planning events and projects.
Be in touch
Call Tim, Celine or Jo
Landline: 020 7715 0368
Mobile: 07504 874195
Email Us
Name and Shame Campaign
If you know of a school where someone is being bullied because of their sexuality or gender identity; or if a school is not supportive of lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans people generally, please tell us about it by filling out this short form.
Want to talk?
If you have any questions, or if you just want to chat about things that are on your mind, why not get in touch by e-mail or click on the image below, or by phone on 020 7700 1323 & 07504 874195.
