Overview

The Trevor Project has created an essential new resource for queer youth.

The crisis prevention organization released Coming Out: A Handbook for LGBTQ Young People in advance of Friday's National Coming Out Day.

The 21-page document provides a 101 for a variety of topics, including gender (gender identity, gender expression, and transitioning); sexual orientation (physical attraction, romantic attraction, and emotional attraction); and the process of coming out itself (planning, safety, and finding support systems).

It may not always be safe for an LGBTQ young person to come out to due bullying, family rejection, and societal bias -- and the handbook helps youth navigate this thorny terrain.

Exploring your sexual orientation and/or gender identity can bring up a lot of feelings and questions. Inside this handbook, we will work together to explore your identity, what it might be like to share your identity with others, and provide you with tools and guiding questions to help you think about what coming out means to you.

You may have heard people talking about “coming out” before in ways that are oversimplified, judgmental, or just plain scary. The truth is that there is no one way to come out or be out. There may be certain people in our lives with whom we want to share our sexual orientation and/ or gender identity, and there may be others with whom we know that we do not feel comfortable or safe sharing. This is more than okay!