What kinds of things might a person who is LGBT go through when "coming out"?
Because of the difficulty of growing up in a largely homophobic society, people who are LGBT may experience guilt, isolation, depression, suicidal feelings, and low self-esteem.  As people who are LGBT become more in touch with their sexual orientation, they may experience any number of these thoughts and feelings to any degree.  On the positive side, coming out can be an extremely liberating experience as people who are LGBT learn who they are, gain respect for themselves, and find friends to relate to. Coming out to others can be an anxious process, as the individual worries about possibilities of rejection, ridicule, and loss of family, friends, and jobs.  For students, college life is already stress filled, and adding the process of grappling with one’s sexual identity to that mix can be overwhelming.
Copyright | Sitemap | Duke.edu | Student Affairs | Campus Life