Is staying in the closet forever a bad thing?

It really depends on the situation of the individual. Every person has different needs and sometimes they may feel perfectly content and satisfied with the way they currently live 'in the closet'. There is nothing wrong or shameful in keeping private things private. Not everyone is comfortable sharing aspects of their sex lives or love lives with others - and that is okay. Putting pressure on someone else for our own personal beliefs or customs is not supportive or loving to them. Trying to understand and being open to another person's feelings is always the better option. Never should we disregard or disrespect another human being's right to choose for themselves - even if we disagree with that choice - unless that choice will physically put someone else in mortal danger.

It depends on the situation. If it is not safe to come out, such as if you are afraid your parents would kick you out or mistreat you, it is definitely better to stay cloistered, at least until you can get your own safe place to live. If it is for religious reasons, it’s ok to come out, just be careful who you come out to. If it’s safe for you to come out, I highly recommend it because it takes so much stress off of you. If your situation is not the best, I still recommend finding a trustworthy close friend to tell. However, if you simply aren’t ready to tell or don’t want to come out, that’s perfectly okay! It’s all up to you.