17 year old, Female, WA

TEEN QUESTION/PROBLEM:
To keep a long, long issue short… I’m one of those GLB people, except I don’t know which. I seem to be sexually attracted to women and romantically attracted to men. What the hell am I? Do I have any chance for a normal relationship? Also, my family is very religious and I go to a Catholic high school, so even if I do figure out what I am, I don’t know how I would come out. I think my mom would support me, but I’m afraid my dad would freak out, and I know my grandparents would be really hurt. I’m not religious, but I don’t want them to know that either. Please help me or at least let me know if you read this. It’d be nice to know that someone can hear me.

TEEN LINE WROTE:
Hi K____. Thanks for contacting us at TEEN LINE. It sounds like you are really confused right now, and it also seems you are afraid of being rejected by your family. I want you to know that it is normal to have attractions for men and women, and what you are going through can be very confusing because sexuality isn’t always clear. There are some great resources out there that can help you to figure out your sexual orientation, and they can talk about the coming out process because that can be really scary. I’d like to give you the number for the GLBT National Youth Talk Line. It is a hotline that specializes in helping teens just like you that are experiencing similar issues. You can call (800) 246- 7743 Monday through Friday from 1 pm – 9 pm PST, and also on Saturdays from 9 am – 2 pm PST. Also I encourage you to call us at TEEN LINE to talk to a trained teen who will listen to you and support you. The number for TEEN LINE is (310) 855- 4673 and the line is open every day 6 pm – 10 pm. Thanks again for contacting us. I wish you luck.

a TEEN LINE teen