General
Coming out is getting easier for LGBTQA+ youth, but not for everyone
The first day Jamil Nabole went to school in a boys’ uniform, he was halfway through Year 7 and was so nervous he couldn’t walk in alone.
“I had one of my friends and I told them, ‘look, I’m coming to school in the boys’ uniform today. I need you to meet me at the front of the school. I’m really nervous’,” he said.
Key points:
- A survey of more than 6,000 LGBTQA+ young people found 88 per cent were supported by friends when they came out
- But 60 per cent reported feeling unsafe or uncomfortable at school due to their sexuality or gender identity
- 81 per cent reported high levels of psychological stress and 10 per cent said they had contemplated suicide in the past year
Jamil, who lives with his grandmother and siblings in the outer Melbourne…
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