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Sort of in the closet?

Guest_15316039
Community Member

I'm bisexual, and a couple of my friends know. But the issue is they act homophobic and it makes me really uncomfortable. It's not like a daily thing, more like small comments, but it still makes me conflicted on whether I should really be friends with them. 

 

Also on two occasions one friend asked me (more like whispered)  " are you still... you know? bi? " and I felt really upset because they think of my sexuality as a phase and not a part of me. Like out of all the things on this earth, people chose to hate on love????

3 Replies 3

ABC01
Community Member

Dear Guest_15316039,

 

Reading your post reminds me of a couple of times in my life where I have shared something very important about myself and life, and got some rather rude or inappropriate responses.

 

Sometimes people really don’t know what to say,and things can come out awkward. Some people use an uncomfortable issue for them with humor. Even if it is bad humor.

 I am sorry you are experiencing this.

If you set boundaries with them first being reasonable and calm in tone,that may just be what you need to know to evaluate if you should continue your friendships or not.

Sometimes people also don’t know they are being offensive and just need to be told that they are in this circumstance. And this maybe uncomfortable for you to begin, but you are using your own voice to champion yourself.

 

Sitting in it and stewing,may only make the situation worse or bigger. You are allowed to be who you are. Your thoughts and feelings on how people communicate with you is valid.

 I hope you find a comfortable answer to your issues.

ABC01

sbella02
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hey, thank you so much for reaching out. I'm sorry to hear about what you're going through with your friends, that's a really tough situation. I'm also bisexual and I'm quite familiar with the feeling of entering certain interactions with the fear of not being accepted, or being in interactions where people say things that are either blatantly or subtly homophobic. It can be very uncomfortable. 

 

I think there may be some benefit in setting boundaries and bringing it up with your friends directly, as ABC01 has suggested. The ability to take accountability for their words and behaviour may reveal a lot more about their character than the comments that they make. If you do bring up in a gentle way how much what they say is affecting you, their response will tell you a lot about the intent behind what they're saying, and also their propensity for being accepting and kind. 

 

Do you have any other loved ones or family members who you're out to, or who you'd feel comfortable opening up to about your sexuality? It may help to have other people to either discuss your feelings with. Particularly if you have other friends who are in the LGBTQIA+ community, sharing similar perspectives and experiences can help you feel comfortable, supported, and safe.

 

I hope this helps, please feel free to chat some more if you'd like. Being queer myself, I know a lot about LGBTQIA+ experiences from both my own and those of friends, and I'm happy to offer any more advice or reassurance if you need.

 

Take care, SB

Scared
Community Member

How you doing.  I think the fact that they are your friends tells you that your sexual preference dont bother them.  Dont be too quick to lose friends as they are hard to come by.  I understand they joke about something you take seriously.  If you dont tell them this bothers you then you have never given your friends the chance to change their behaviour.  If after they know this is a sensitive issue for you and they are still making you uncomfortable then by all means re evaluate the friendship.  But communication is key.  Give your friends the chance to change.  We all can act silly from time to time and grow out of this, so talk to them and give them opportunity to learn and change.

This goes for most things in life as people cant read minds.

You may be very surprised at the outcome