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Dear Carol,\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I might be gay and I don\u2019t know what to tell\u00a0my family. They aren\u2019t homophobic or anything, it\u2019s just that if I\u2019m not certain, should\u00a0I even tell them? And if I should, how?<\/strong><\/p>\n – Please Help<\/strong><\/p>\n Dear Please Help,<\/p>\n The goal is for you to feel good about\u00a0yourself as a person, friend, family member,\u00a0student and more. You want to be comfortable with who you are, so allow yourself\u00a0to be open to your own questions\u2014and\u00a0keep nurturing your curiosity. Over time,\u00a0everything will become clearer to you. If\u00a0you happen to notice, for instance, that it\u00a0feels more exciting to be with\u00a0girls than guys, well, that\u2019s a sign. If you and\u00a0your mom are close, and you want to talk\u00a0about your path to self-discovery with her,\u00a0go ahead. Nowadays, it has become more\u00a0accepted to question one\u2019s identity\u2014it\u2019s\u00a0natural to wonder about all of this. But if\u00a0you want to wait until your body gives you\u00a0more cues, that\u2019s fine, too. Ask yourself\u00a0which scenario might help you feel more\u00a0at ease: 1) saying, \u201cMom, I really want to\u00a0talk to you about something important:\u00a0I\u2019ve been wondering if I might be gay\u2026\u201d or\u00a02) keeping the uncertainty to yourself for a\u00a0while longer. Take into consideration how\u00a0your mom might react (or overreact). Bear in\u00a0mind too that as you approach adolescence,\u00a0it\u2019s normal not to discuss every single thing\u00a0with your family. A friend vapes or drinks\u00a0beer? Bad idea, but you might not tell your\u00a0mom. You have a crush? You might keep it\u00a0under wraps. If you think that your family will\u00a0be a supportive sounding board, great. But if\u00a0you\u2019re afraid they might freak out, give yourself more time to think things through on\u00a0your own. You\u2019ll find answers soon enough,\u00a0and I hope you\u2019ll let yourself embrace and\u00a0love your full self.<\/p>\n Carol Weston is the author of 16 books including\u00a0Speed of Life\u00a0<\/em>(about a girl who writes to an advice columnist).\u00a0More at\u00a0carolweston.com<\/a>\u00a0and on Instagram\u00a0@carolwestonnyc<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Need more advice? More Dear Carol below:
\n\ud83d\udc9e “Dear Carol, My friendship is falling apart”<\/a>
\n\ud83d\udc9e “Dear Carol, My life has been super crazy lately and I’m overwhelmed”<\/a>
\n\ud83d\udc9e “Dear Carol, I feel really self-conscious about my body lately”<\/a>
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