The Safety of Coming-out

Self-acceptance is vital to our sense of well-being. To live healthy productive lives we must let go of any internal biphobia (fear of ourselves) that could limit our ability to tap into our fullest potential as human beings. We must also love ourselves before we can love anyone else; otherwise we are likely to burden them with the negative feelings associated with our personal struggle. Achieving full self-acceptance can be a life-long journey, but some of us are able to set aside the important issues at an early age.
Coming-out is an important part of self-acceptance. It is a process that can stir-up many emotions, some of which can be difficult to deal with alone (i.e., low self-esteem and fear of rejection or abandonment). It would be helpful to establish a support network of friends, family members and trusted advisers to help you through any difficult times.
We come-out for many reasons: to openly acknowledge who we are, to cease living in secrecy and to share an important piece of our lives with those who matter most to us. We do not come-out to hurt anyone, even if we disclose the information in anger.
Before we come out to others, we must acknowledge and freely accept who we are; we must “come out” to ourselves. The coming-out process is different for everyone, but most people experience these five stages:
Five Stages of Coming-Out to Yourself
1) Self-awareness and acknowledgement
  i. Individuals are still questioning
  ii. Obtaining information, looking for answers
2) Telling others
  i. We often tell a close friend first
  ii. If we are in our teens, a trusted adult is often next; possibly a parent   iii. Negative experiences can send us back to Stage 1
  iv. Some of us are so relieved, we want to tell the whole world; others are very private
  v. We might begin questioning gay, lesbian and stereotypes to decide who we are in relation to what we know (or have heard)
3) Reaching out to other gay, lesbian and bisexual men and women
  i. Begin searching for people who are similar
  ii. Connecting with the local LGBT community
4) Forming healthy relationships with other LGBT persons
5) Complete self-acceptance
  i. Open, not defensive, content with ourselves
  ii. Willing & able to help others