Hi Sam, I’m a 10 year old girl,I am bisexual and NOT proud of it, I recently discovered my sexuality not too long ago, my homosexual parents accept but my friends at school don’t...A boy in my class is transgender and is getting bullied. I’m choosing between my personal life and all my friends, who and what do i choose?
Hi there
Your sexuality is about who you feel attracted to. There are different labels we give to sexuality, like being gay, bisexual or pansexual, and how you describe your sexuality might change over time. You can’t choose who you feel attracted to but you can choose the label you use. Not everyone decides to use any particular label - it’s up to you how you describe yourself.
Everyone is different and it’s important that you feel accepted for who you are. No one should bully you for any reason, including your sexual orientation or your gender identity. Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying are when someone treats you badly for being gay, bisexual or transgender. What they’re doing is wrong and help is available.
Schools have to take bullying seriously and if you or someone else is being bullied you can tell an adult, like a teacher or a parent and ask them to help. If you've told school and you don’t feel they're doing enough you could talk to one of our counsellors to get support with what to try next.
No one should make you feel bad or wrong for being who you are, especially if they’re your friends. If you’re worried that your friends might not respect your sexuality then it can help to tell one person at a time. Think about whose reaction you expect to be the most positive and start by telling them. They can then support you in telling more friends, until everyone knows.
Remember that this isn’t something you have to tell everyone if you don’t want to. There’s no reason to choose a label or to tell anyone about if you don’t want to. Your sexuality is something you can discover privately until you feel comfortable and want to share it.
Thank you for your letter. I hope this has helped you decide what you want to do next. Remember, you can speak to a Childline counsellor anytime you need support.
Take care.
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
