One of the themes that is brought up in many of our workshops is about the difficulty of revealing more of yourself to others. Whether this be an invisible condition that you live with, the challenges of living with some sort of mental health diagnosis, or being gay.

People talk about being reluctant, scared and, in some cases, terrified of sharing more of themselves.

The fear of rejection is strong. But what often comes out of sharing stories of who we are is a powerful feeling of liberation and relief. And that's because people realise that others are keen to know more about you and do not judge as much as you think they may do!

In the safety of a Result CIC workshop, such openness can be explored in a positive, constructive and supportive way and it's often a catalyst for greater openness in the world outside. Once that happens, living as you is a much easier experience.

Of course, coming out is a personal decision. Who and why you share this kind of information with is an individual concern. You may feel strongly and with good reason that certain aspects of you have nothing to do with others.

Or, like Jay-Z’s mum, tell the whole world!

'I was not free until I told my son I was gay' said  Gloria Carter.

Rap superstar Jay-Z, (Mr Beyoncé to some), says he had long known that his mother was gay but only recently did they have their first conversation about it. It inspired the song Smile from his last album, dealing postiviely with coming out, an important stance in the rap world where homophobic lyrics are rife.

It’s fantastic to see the positive and supportive response from her son. Don’t you think that this is bound to bring them closer?

Read more about our work with LGBTQ communities.