In the new documentary Coming Out Diaries, shown tomorrow on BBC3, three young people tell their stories of how they came out to their family and friends as gay or transgender.
One of the open and honest individuals sharing their story is 17-year-old Natalie whose mum Arlene find it difficult to accept that the son she gave birth to wants to live her life as a girl. Arlene finds the whole situation so difficult to deal with that she refuses to allow Natalie to dress as a girl in her house and continues to call her by her birth name, 'Kieran'. The film follows Natalie as she battles for acceptance and the opportunity to put her double life to bed.
Also featured in the documentary is 17-year-old Tori who talks about the bullying she faced at school for being a lesbian. Now studying at beauty college, Tori wants to come out to the new friends she has made but she is worried that history will repeat itself, and the girls will no longer want her to practice beauty treatments on them in class.
We also hear from 19-year-old Jamie who hasn't told his university course-mates that he was born a girl. Jamie loves being accepted as one of the lads and is pleased no one has guessed his secret, but he feels the time has come to be honest and stop living a lie.
I think it's fantastic that more programmes dealing with LGBT issues, like the brilliant recent documentary series My Transsexual Summer, are being shown on TV. I spent half of my life worried about coming out, thinking that I could never live my life as an openly gay woman. If any lesbians were shown on telly, such as Beth Jordache in Brookside or Kim in Sugar Rush, I would watch them intently alone in my room with the volume turned down so slow I could hardly hear it.
Growing up, I was determined that no one would find out I was a lesbian but falling in love changed everything. With the help and support of my partner, I was able to learn to accept myself and my sexual orientation and gradually over the last first three years I have begun telling my friends and family about us. Although my mum was initially devastated that her daughter 'is one of those', she is gradually starting to accept me for who I am and hopefully one day my relationship with my partner will be as valid as my sister's is with her boyfriend. For now, I'm just happy I am able to live my life as I had always dreamed I would but never believed I could.
Coming out will never be easy, but people sharing their experiences does in my opinion help gay and transgender people to know that they are not alone and we can all give each other hope that we can live life happy as ourselves.
Coming Out Diaries will be shown tomorrow on BBC 3 at 9pm.
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