(by 3 people)
Gay, Thrive with it will assist and support you in creating your thriving gay life. We as gay men and lesbians do not have to hide in the closet, struggle to survive or live lives imposed by others. We can choose to thrive. The goal here is to define what thriving means for you and begin creating actions that create your thriving gay life.
Gay Headlines
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byHow to Come Out
National Coming Out Day (NCOD), October 11, 2006.
Nearly twenty years ago I began my journey through the coming out process. It was a solitary, stumbling in the dark, lonely and somewhat traumatic experience. I would learn years later that my coming out was relatively painless compared to many. I discovered a flow to the process out of my experience and the experience of other gays and lesbians before and after. Whenever we "go with the flow" things happen with less struggle and pain, so I created a coaching program to assist folks in "getting in the flow" of coming out and support their staying in the flow during the process. You do not have to struggle.
Coming out involves several phases or parts, each with it's own sub-process. While this program eases the struggle and minimizes the pain of coming out, it does not make it easy. This program is not intended to be a replacement for counseling or therapy. If you suspect you are suffering from depression or other treatable conditions, seek professional help before coming out.
Phase one is coming out to yourself. It can be very difficult because of family background, religion, socialization and the general attitude of society towards gays and lesbians. This phase involves self-examination, personal growth and self-education.
Phase two is connecting with other GLBT people. This part of the process is marked by research and outreach. You will learn where to find the gay community and reach out to become a part of it.
Phase three is telling your straight friends. In this part of the process you begin training and practicing for the next step of telling your family. It is usually easier to tell a friend you're gay than a family member.
Phase four is often the most difficult, telling your family. It's best to have the first conversation with a relative you are comfortable talking to that you expect will be supportive. I don't recommend starting with your parents.
After phase four, coming out to co-workers (phase five) sometimes seems easy. It is still full of emotional, economic and social risks. As with other parts of the process you should only come out to co-workers when you are ready, comfortable with the idea and can do so safely.
At this point, you're thinking, thank goodness, I'm done. Phase six is the ongoing process of coming out. You will change jobs, churches, meet new friends, relatives will get married and new people will come into your life in a hundred ways. At some point you will want to come out to many if not all of them.
Coming out involves several phases or parts, each with it's own sub-process. While this program eases the struggle and minimizes the pain of coming out, it does not make it easy. This program is not intended to be a replacement for counseling or therapy. If you suspect you are suffering from depression or other treatable conditions, seek professional help before coming out.
Phase one is coming out to yourself. It can be very difficult because of family background, religion, socialization and the general attitude of society towards gays and lesbians. This phase involves self-examination, personal growth and self-education.
Phase two is connecting with other GLBT people. This part of the process is marked by research and outreach. You will learn where to find the gay community and reach out to become a part of it.
Phase three is telling your straight friends. In this part of the process you begin training and practicing for the next step of telling your family. It is usually easier to tell a friend you're gay than a family member.
Phase four is often the most difficult, telling your family. It's best to have the first conversation with a relative you are comfortable talking to that you expect will be supportive. I don't recommend starting with your parents.
After phase four, coming out to co-workers (phase five) sometimes seems easy. It is still full of emotional, economic and social risks. As with other parts of the process you should only come out to co-workers when you are ready, comfortable with the idea and can do so safely.
At this point, you're thinking, thank goodness, I'm done. Phase six is the ongoing process of coming out. You will change jobs, churches, meet new friends, relatives will get married and new people will come into your life in a hundred ways. At some point you will want to come out to many if not all of them.
The Thriving Gay Resource List
- Being Happy Together for GLBT couples
- Learn more about great new eBook on relationships, Being Happy Together
- Great Lives Coaching (My homepage)
- Information on coaching programs, workshops and telconferences presented by Great Lives Coaching.
- Gay Business World
- An excellent site for information and networking if you are or would like to be a GLBT business owner.
- Diversity Builder
- Diversity Builder provides strategic marketing solutions for small businesses. From a comprehensive nationwide directory listing to internet advertisement, e-mail distributions, press releases and more! Diversity Builder can help you target your market.
Great Stuff on Amazon
The Confession
Amazon Price: $17.79 (as of 11/18/2008) 
What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality
Amazon Price: $13.72 (as of 11/18/2008)
Instinct Magazine
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 11/18/2008)
Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide
Amazon Price: $29.70 (as of 11/18/2008)
Netflix Movies
- 001- Brokeback Mountain
Two sheepherders -- Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar (Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger) -- meet and fall...- 002- Transamerica
Bree (Felicity Huffman) gets the shock of her life when a week before her final sex change surgery s...- 003- Kinsey
Liam Neeson provides a fascinating portrait of theorist and zoologist Dr. Alfred Kinsey, whose name...- 004- The Hours
This gripping drama follows the parallel lives of three 20th-century women. The incomparable Virgini...- 005- Boys Don't Cry
Teena Brandon (Hilary Swank) moves to a small Nebraska town in search of a new life. Preferring to c...- Try Netflix free for 14 days
New Word of the Day
- affectation: Dictionary.com Word of the Day
- affectation: exaggerated display; pretense
Reader Feedback
Like this lens? Want to share your feedback, or just give a thumbs up? Be the first to submit a blurb!
