Sexuality
What is sexuality?
Sexuality describes how you express yourself in a sexual way. Sexuality includes your feelings, attractions, behaviours, preferences, identity, and how you experience relationships with others. It is a normal part of being human and can include:
- sexual orientation – who someone is attracted to (for example, heterosexual/straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual)
- romantic attraction – who someone develops romantic feelings for
- gender identity – a person's internal sense of their gender
- values and beliefs – personal, cultural, religious, and family influences on relationships and intimacy
- relationships and affection – how people express closeness, love, and connection
Your sexuality is unique to you. Some people know their feelings and identity from a young age, while others take longer to understand them. Your sexuality may change over time, while for other people it may remain constant.
LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, with the ‘+’ representing inclusivity beyond any in the acronym.
Sexuality and gender are two different aspects of our identity. Sexuality is who you are attracted to physically and romantically. Gender identity is your internal sense of gender, whether that is a girl, a boy, neither or both.
There are a lot of different words/labels that you and other people may use to describe your sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity. You might identify with more than one of the terms under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.
It is common to feel nervous when telling others how you feel. You may be fearful that you won’t fit in or be accepted by your friends and family. You might feel overwhelmed by your worries, so seeking out support can be very important and really make a positive difference.
There are a lot of different words/labels that people use to describe their sexuality and gender identity. These different terms are represented by the plus sign in LGBTQ+. You might identify with more than one of the terms under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.
It is common to feel nervous about telling others about your sexuality and/or gender identity. You may be fearful that you won’t fit in or be accepted by your friends and family. You might feel overwhelmed by your worries, so seeking out support is very important and can really make a positive difference.
Coming out is the process of telling other people about an important part of your identity, usually your sexual orientation or gender identity.
Coming out is a personal decision and one that you should never feel pressured into making. Even if you have not come out, your LGBTQ+ identity is real and valid.
Remember, that there is no one right way to come out, just what’s right for you. If you don’t feel ready, you can wait. There will be other opportunities. You are in charge of how you do it and when.
It is natural to feel worried before coming out, and you may be concerned about how others will react and how you will be treated.
However, letting other people know can be a huge weight off your shoulders.
It helps to plan who you will tell first. Prioritise your own safety and choose someone you trust. Make it clear to the person you tell whether you are happy for them to tell anyone else.
If you would like to speak to someone for support, you can contact your local LGBT+ Project
Coming out as LGBTQ+ can often be a positive experience, where you are met with acceptance and love. However, it’s possible that the person you come out to could react with fear or confusion. If you are met with a bad reaction, there are a couple of important things to remember:
First, someone’s bad reaction is not your fault, and you should not blame yourself. You deserve kindness and respect.
Second, the first reaction that someone has towards you, does not mean they will feel like that forever. It can take time for them to work through their feelings that they may have, especially if they do not know many LGBTQ+ people.
Gender identity is a person's deeply felt internal sense of their own gender. It is how someone understands and experiences themselves, regardless of their body or the sex they were assigned at birth.
In simple terms, gender identity is about who you are inside, not necessarily how you look, what sexual organs you have, or who you are attracted to.
It isn't just male or female - other terms you may prefer to use to describe gender identity could include:
- trans or transgender - if you feel your gender is different from the sex you were registered at birth
- non-binary, gender diverse or gender queer - if you feel your gender does not sit comfortably as a man or a woman
- genderfluid – if you feel your gender isn’t fixed and may change over time
- cisgender – if you feel your gender is the same as the sex you were assigned at birth
If you would like to speak to someone for support, you can contact your local LGBT+ Project.
There are lots of events and groups that represent the LGBTQ+ community in Norfolk & Waveney. If you want to volunteer or get involved in the arts, sports or other interests, or find out about upcoming events, these groups offer inclusive and friendly spaces to meet new people.
Norwich Pride, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Pride, Great Yarmouth and Waveney Pride, represent the LGBTQ+ community in different areas of Norfolk, through community pride events, support resources, and community groups.
Find out about Norwich Pride, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Pride and Great Yarmouth and Waveney Pride.
LGBT+ Project, personalised and compassionate mental health and well-being support in Norfolk and Waveney. Find out more about LGBT+ Project offering
The University of East Anglia (UEA) Pride Society represents the LGBTQ+ community and their events in and around the university.
Find out more about UEA Pride Society
Proud Canaries are the official Norwich City Football Club fans and friends group who challenge homophobia and transphobia while enjoying the game.
