What’s One Thing You’d Tell Your Younger Self?

Our Instagram fam never lets us down.

We asked folks — “As an LGBTQ+ person, what’s one thing you’d like to tell your younger self?”

Some answers made us laugh, some made us cry, and some were just REAL TALK! Check out some of our favorites and then scroll through the post for some inspiration. 

“Thanks for not giving up and dimming your light” – @itstjmitchell 

“Here’s an eye opener, little one. Your ‘home’ country is not your home. It is just the place where you grew up. It is not where you belong. Where you belong is where you feel happy and safe., comfortable and at ease. You weren’t feeling any of these things in your ‘home’ country and with your family. Go where you are loved, accepted and appreciated, even if that means leaving your family behind because they couldn’t accept and love you unconditionally and put their Catholic faith before you…And here I am now, as happy as ever, after moving abroad almost 7 years ago to a country where I can be who I want to be, unapologetically.” – @ragheb.salameh

“Yes, baby, being bisexual IS a real thing; your relationships do not define you.” – @krystina.catherine 

“Don’t tell dad first, tell mom” – @punk.rock.mads 

“Just wait; you’ll discover yourself and it will be beautiful. It will feel like it takes too long to get there, but trust the timing.” – @angela_writes_and_teaches 

“Fall in love with yourself and be proud of it. That love will get you through all the good and the bad and will keep you going. That love is going to change your life.” – @janks_209 

“It’s OK to be gay, despite you being surrounded by so much hate and homophobia. You can guarantee you’re not the only one, so don’t be afraid to seek out others, especially if you like them. You’ll regret it later in life if you don’t try out relationships.” – @jpwphoenix

“It’s completely OK to be scared, overwhelmed and stressed. There’s no right way to do this! And there’s no time frame, either. You’re doing fantastic just by being you in your own time.” – @embrace_the_ace 

“You’re not really into sex and that’s okay. You don’t really understand or have a romantic attraction. And that’s okay. You have an emotional and aesthetic attraction to your friend and that’s okay. What’s not okay are your emotionally immature parents who have been making your adolescence about them. When you turn 18, get the fuck away from them and do all you can to stay away from them.” – @keemsexperience 

“Lesbians are allowed to have sleepovers.” – @__chapstick_supreme__

“The things that you wanted to wear, the way you wanted to look, and the hobbies you wanted to love… no one should have EVER told you that they weren’t for you. They were, they were, and they were.” – @qhausconsulting 

“Asexuality exists. Look it up. You’re not broken.” – @seafoam_monarch 

“The way you see yourself if the most important gift you can give yourself each and every day.”  -@auntieoppressiondotcom

“Do you. And don’t look back.” – @kfrankii