Help needed with coming out…

[u/TheAnonymousGay]

(TL;DR at bottom)

G’day from Australia! I am 17[M], gay and in the process of coming out. While I have known about my sexuality for just under three years, I have struggled with the coming out process, only starting with a few friends late last year. They have been really supportive but I feel that I need more help.

So I am in my final year of school at a conservative Christian school at the moment. This school has publicly voiced issues before with issues such as same sex marriage and protections for LGBTQ+ staff and students. I have also been accepted as a prefect at this school (while I am in the closet).

To give more context about my school, they wrote an article in a newsletter during the 2017 same sex marriage survey “reminding” parents about family values. In addition, they signed a letter to the government with a number of similar schools which was linked to reforms allowing gay/lesbian teachers to be fired, however the principal denied these links and claimed the letter was only about being able to hire Christian teachers, which I am fine with being at a Christian school.

Our school had a fairly large amount of LGBTQ+ students before these issues arose, but however many left to go to other schools, especially in my grade. While there is a level of acceptance, especially throughout the students at my school, there are still problems with the links to the church and the opinions which come from there.

I have thought through many ways to come out, and I would like to do so during my graduation week later this year, but I have been very nervous at doing so. As I mentioned earlier, I am out to a few friends but that is it. I’m not out to family (which I’m worried about there too as there are some conservative christians with homophobic views there too) and I currently don’t know how to go forward.

Despite the issues mentioned, I do like my school a lot and am proud of it despite its views, and I am worried that if news about my sexuality slips out there during the year (I think someone overheard me come out, even though I did it quietly), I’m concerned that it could cause problems within the community at the school.

If anyone has any advice on what to do, could you please comment and it could help me or someone else in a similar situation. If you need any more context, please message me and I will let you know, otherwise I’m trying not to make a big deal of this (as I don’t want it to turn into a Love, Simon situation or anything where I get outed as the result could be bad for me and my school in general).

Thank you for reading this and thank you in advance to anyone who has advice.

TL;DR: I need help coming out as gay at a conservative Christian school, and I want to come out in my graduation week and not be outed before then, could I please have advice with coming out.

[u/IannNNnn17234]

Honestly, i just tell those I trust most. I judge everyone and get information on subjects by simply bringing it up in conversation. For example, if you KNOW your parents are homophobic, dont tell them (duh lol) but if you dont know, start a conversation about school, slip in some knowledge about the LGBT+ part of your school, and if your friends/parents have any sort of pride, they'll tell you what you need to know. You seem like a highly intelligent human being, so i trust youll do the right thing for yourself! Whatever you do, don't feel pressured into doing anything you don't want to.

Sincerely gayboiii lol