in November i told my Mom i was Gay and within a day she had packed my bags and asked me to leave, i am 16 years old and luckily my girlfriends family was fine with this, however the day after my mum came round to my girlfriends house and tried to turn her family against me. but since the my older brother and my 4 younger sibilings are always getting new things, but when i was at home i never got any of this, i am currently living in a foyer and am on income support, i am struggiling a little, and i miss my family. i hate my mom now and she always denies being homophobic and she says she hates my girlfriend.
Sam
Hi there,
Thank you for your letter. Such a lot has happened since November and I’m so glad that you decided to write to me.
Coming out is about being honest with yourself and those around you. It takes a lot of courage. I imagine that deciding to tell your mum that you’re gay was a big step for you and that it was hurtful for her to ask you to leave.
It’s good that you’ve been able to access income support and find a safe place to live with the Foyer organisation. There is support out there for young people in your situation, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to cope. Everyone has rights – they help us stay safe and get fair treatment. By becoming homeless at age 16, you may be entitled to help with money, housing, education, training and support from social services. Your local council or housing advisor will be able to tell you about housing support for under 18’s.
There are organisations that can put you in touch with people who can offer help and support to young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Stonewall have a section on their website called “What’s in my area” and you can search the database to find local groups, legal advice and organisations near you.
There’s also an organisation called PACE that offers a free and confidential counselling service for young LGBT people under the age of 19.
I can hear that you miss your family and coming to terms with the situation sounds very tough to deal with. You don’t have to cope with all of this on your own and we would really like to be able to support you in the best way that we can.
You can contact ChildLine about anything and at any time for confidential help and support. There are different ways to talk to a ChildLine counsellor.
It’s taken a lot of courage to write this letter and whenever you’d like to talk, there will be someone at ChildLine to listen.
Take care, Sam
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