Seven Struggles (And Three Beacons Of Hope) When You're In The Closet

The closet is dank, dark and depressing and we're all pretty sick of it.

1. Listening to your parents talk about you getting straight-married and having kids.

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"Uh. Have you considered any... alternatives?"

"What?"

"Never mind."

2. Having to bite your tongue when your friends talk about crushes.

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"So how about that guy?"

(But how about that girl?!)

3. Listening to friends continue to use 'gay' as an insult.

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"How about... annoying? Ridiculous? Pointless? Vapid? Anything else?"

"Retarded?"

"Try again."

4. Trying to disguise your blunders.

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"[Person not of the oppsosite sex] is so prett-UM! I mean... uh."

5. Trying to figure out if anyone else is in your situation.

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"Psst... do you happen to be...um..."

"What?"

"Nothing! Nothing."

6. Feeling like you're constantly lying to everyone.

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Especially yourself.

7. Fearing the kind of treatment you'd get if you came out.

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Violence? Verbal hate? A whole society that hates you? How can anyone deal with that?

8. Feeling slightly less hopeless when you see queer people living pretty okay lives.

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Apparently you shouldn't give up on yourself.

9. Feeling even more hopeful when you realise there's a way out for you somewhere.

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Whether it's coming out or extracting yourself from toxic people who wouldn't accept you, there's a way to make things better eventually.

10. And last, but not least, you aren't alone.

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And you never will be for long.