Question: How do I come out to my family and friends?
There are a few ways to navigate coming out to your family and friends.
Firstly, just know that this is a very personal decision and everyone's circumstances are different. Therefore, the "coming out" experience varies from person to person. In saying that hopefully the following dot points help you navigate your coming out experience.
YOUR SAFETY TAKES PRIORITY! We recommend assessing your current circumstances and make an informed decision as to whether it's safe enough for you to come out. Some questions to ask yourself are:
Do my family support the LGBTQIA+ community?
Can I financially support myself if I need to move out of home?
Does my family know how to resolve conflict in a respectful and safe manner?
Find a support person! This person is someone you trust fully, who you know can support you through your coming out journey. This person doesn't necessarily have to be related to you, but instead could be a close friend, a teacher or coach that you trust and even an online community (TEAM TANDA). Some questions to help you find the right person are:
Do I know anyone who has come out recently, or are apart of the LGBTQIA+ community?
Has anyone around me expressed their support for the LGBTQIA+ community? i.e. wearing a rainbow lanyard, posting on their instagram story, etc.
Do I have any close friends or work colleges that I know are open minded?
Don't rush! There is plenty of time and space for you to express your sexual identity to the world. Take your time to consider the previous two points and how coming out can affect your life both positively and negatively in you current circumstances. Use the questions below to reflect on if now is the right time:
Will coming out make me feel better or worse right now?
What is my gut instinct/intuition telling me I should do?
Is it painful for me to keep this part of my life a secret?
Question: How can I find friends in the LGBTQIA+ community?
Answer: There are a bunch of different ways you can go about making and finding friends within the LGBTQIA+ community!
Firstly, you have started in the right place! As we grow and develop this app, it is only going to get easier for you to meet others within the community! We are striving to build the TANDA community with your ability to make connections with each other as our main motivation. Commenting within the forums in our community section of the app and checking out other people's responses will help you find someone who is likeminded to connect with!
Attending our livestreams and getting involved with our TANDA Events is also another great way to meet new people and make some friends!
OTHER RESOURCES:
QLife Website - Australia-wide anonymous, LGBTIA+ peer support and referral for people wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships. QLife services are free and include both telephone and web chat support, delivered by trained LGBTI community members across the country.