We've come a long way. But that doesn't mean that the process of coming out is clear-cut or without obstacles. Introducing an e-book for today's times-adapted from Steven Petrow's Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners-designed to help guide men, women, and teenagers navigate what can be uncertain territory.
Packed with Q&As, polls, and "Straight Talk" from straight friends and family members), 'The Real-World Guide to Coming Out' covers it all. Why you should come out, and when. Whom to approach first (in a poll, 50% chose a LBGT friend). How to write a coming-out letter. How to tell your children in an age-appropriate way. Staying safe at school and other help for young people. Plus how to handle homophobia and hostility, to tell or not to tell at the workplace, coming out when you're older, the unique challenges faced by the transitioning person, and becoming a mentor to others.
Sally Chew has worked for magazines and websites from Vibe to Time Inc.'s Health.com. She lives in Brooklyn.
Steven Petrow, former president of the National Gay & Lesbian Journalists Association, is a syndicated writer on LGBT manners for The Huffington Post, Yahoo! Shine, LOGO, and the "Q" Syndicate. The same-sex wedding expert for The New York Times, he has also written for The Advocate, The Los Angeles Times, Salon, The Daily Beast, and Out.com. His previous books include The Essential Book of Gay Manners & Etiquette and When Someone You Know Has AIDS. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
