Accepting and understanding your own sexuality is a journey which we all undertake. We start to become aware of our sexuality often around the stage of puberty but it often takes years for us to fully understand who we are and what sex or gender we are attracted to. At Y2Y we believe that sexuality is not as simple as being straight or gay but more of a continuum with straight at one end and gay at the other. People can move along, stay in one place or change their position as they try to define their own sexuality. If you can describe yourself as straight or gay then that is fine, but there are many young people who find they do not fit into either of these categories. Being gay can pose many problems to teenagers. You may find the label hard to accept yourself or you may be afraid to tell family or friends. Your age, culture and religion will play an important role in how you can accept and tell others of your sexuality. Many teenagers experience homophobia – being treated differently, bullied or assaulted because of their sexuality. Homophobia can seriously affect your studies, self esteem and confidence so it must be addressed. Whether you are a gay young man, lesbian or bisexual you will find many organisations can support you. Y2Y will endeavour to find the most appropriate service, either a national or local organisation and provide you with links to other sites that can help.
How would you define your own sexuality?