“Find your people – there are communities everywhere that you can join, and they’ll help you along your journey.”  

Emily a 16 year old LGBTQ+ Young Person, shares her experience coming out:   

“For me when I came out, it was actually fairly nice. I came out to my mam when I was about 11, and she was very open and happy about it. Everyone in my family had a lovely reaction. They were very open about everything.   

In school I kind of keep to myself about stuff like that. I’m out to my close friends, but I definitely wouldn’t come out to everyone at school, or people that I’m not close with, because school is not very friendly or open about things like this.   

Some people at school make jokes about LGBTQ+ people. You often hear slurs in school about LGBTQ+ people. You want to say something to them but you don’t because you know you’ll just end up with a target on your back.   

LGBTQ+ topics are rarely brought up at school. Stand Up Awareness Week gives LGBTQ+ young people in school an acknowledgement that they are there and they are part of the school community.   

When I’m with my friends in town we’ll often get slurs shouted at us, because we look different. There are lots of parts of town which we don’t feel safe going to. We try to make ourselves as small as possible, just to get through.   

Find your people – there are communities everywhere that you can join, and they’ll help you along your journey. ”   

*Name has been changed and stock imagery used to protect the young person’s identity.