What helped you accept your own sexuality and gender identity?

What helped me accept my own sexuality, personally, is watching other people who are happy and proud of their own sexuality (youtube has plenty of proud lgbt+ representatives sharing their own experience). Embracing themselves and being open about it. Then, that inspired me to not care so much about what people thought and to be little selfish (in a good way) and focus on what makes me happy because I know that I am not doing anyone any harm as I am just simply loving another human being.

Lots and lots of support from people online. There are so many caring and compassionate people out there on the web, willing to help you accept yourself.

I definitely reached out to other people within the community. Whether it was people I knew in real life, or through groups online! It helped me a lot to talk to people who could relate and understand what I was feeling/going through. Eventually they helped me gain enough confidence in myself to the point where I could just decide for myself that it was time to live life the way I was meant to and not be scared. Once I started coming out to people things just got easier and easier! You will get there one day and you will enjoy it so much :)

Finding others who love and accept me too. The lgbtq+ community is so supportive and loving and can help you support and love yourself.

Talking to people that identified as similar or the same. realizing that I was not alone and it wasn't just a 'stage.'

Honestly, I feel the thing that helps most is time, time to come to terms with who you are and how these labels on your sexuality and gender might affect your life. Also being around supportive friends can be really helpful.

My friends. I have a bunch of friends that are in the LGBT+ community too, and seeing them accept themselves has helped me accept myself too.

I took time to myself. I did battle with it for quite sometime, but I eventually decided that if I couldn't accept myself for who I am, then how can I expect anyone else too. I did also have friends who supported me and allowed me to be who what I saw myself as. I also got this constant feeling of being lost and confused. This is when I took time to express myself in more than one way to see if it felt right to me. If this is something you're battling with, I'd say to spend some time with yourself. Think about what makes you happy and what brings you joy in life. If its a sexuality or gender that you want to explore in, then give yourself time to. You don't always have to decide right away. Its a big topic and everyone has their own time to know who they truly are and then be comfortable with it.

Well I knew I was gay when I only wanted to be with men I tried to be with a woman I even had a kid with her but I was living a lie and in love with her brother and when everytime I went to the gym I was turned on even when I tried to not get excited id did being near men in the locker room was realy hard because men all shower together and I found myself turned on and surrounded by naked men in the locker room thank god for towels lol and when I could not get excited for women even when they were undrested in front of me I just could not perform but when I got home I opened up a playgirl magazine and boom I was hotter than ever I knew then I was gay all the way when I would get jelious seeing girls touch a guy I was hot for I knew then I needed a boyfriend