LGBTQ+ IDENTITY Expert guidance for adults seeking clarity and acceptance

IT IS NEVER too late to become yourself.

- ALYSSIA BIRJALAL

In recent years, more adults in their 30s, 40s and 50s are coming out, sharing truths about their sexuality that they may have carried quietly for decades.

Therapists emphasise that this isn't a sudden trend, but rather a quiet wave that has been building for years.

As social norms shift and conversations about sexuality become more open and compassionate, many people finally feel safe enough to explore parts of themselves they felt forced to push aside when they were younger.

For many, this journey begins after years spent in heterosexual relationships, following the traditional path before realising there was something deeper waiting to be acknowledged.

Many of these adults grew up in environments where being LGBTQ+ was discouraged, dismissed or hidden entirely.

To survive, they followed the expectations of their communities, dating the opposite sex, marrying young or pushing down their confusion.