Question: Is it a Good Idea to Come Out By Changing My Facebook Profile to Bisexual?

A teen wonders if he should come out by making his Facebook profile read bisexual.

Answer:

A teen writes to the GLBT teens community forum:

"Should I make my Facebook profile say "bisexual" or not? My friends don't know I'm bi. I'm 15. Should I put it in where it asks for my status? Help me!"

How you come out is a big decision and more and more teens are deciding to come out on Facebook by simply changing who they are interested in from men to women or vice versa.

But here are some things you should consider before coming out on Facebook:

• Who are my Facebook friends? Am I ready to come out to all of them?
• Am I friends with my family members? Is this how I want to come out to them?
• Have I adjusted my privacy settings so only the people I am friends with can see my status?
• If people react negatively, am I okay with dealing with this virtually and not in person?

Another teen offers this advice:

"I think maybe you should formally come out at least to your close friends before putting it on Facebook. I think if I had a friend who was bi and didn't tell me I would be offended. That's a big part of your life you should share with your close friends because that's a big part of who you and you should want your friends to know who you are..."

However you decide to come out is ultimately up to you. But since coming out is a pretty big deal, it is worth thinking about the possible outcomes of your choice.