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>Introduction Are you gay? Do you want to tell anybody? Who do you want to tell ... and how? What you can do now that the closet doors have swung open Yahoo! I'm alive! (which is much harder than I thought) Where to go for help

If you decide to come out as a lesbian or a gay man you might want some sympathetic advice before you take the big decision. That's what this site is all about. The Guide There's one difference between being black and being gay. If you're black, you don't have to tell your mother. Being gay isn't good or bad, right or wrong. It just is. But for those of us who are gay, we do have to go through the very inconvenient step of dealing with other people's preconceptions. And mostly that involves them assuming that we're straight, which we're not. So we have to come out. And put them straight on the matter ... The comedian and writer Simon Fanshawe has written probably the funniest, most compassionate and most perceptive guide for people who are contemplating 'coming out'. And parents, brothers and sisters, and friends will also find it most revealing. The guide is divided into six parts: Are you gay? Do you want to tell anybody? Who do you want to tell ... and how? What you can do now that the closet doors have swung open Yahoo! I'm alive! (which is much harder than I thought) Where to go for help So if you are thinking of 'coming out', or you know someone who is or has just taken that big step, Simon Fanshawe's advice ­ on topics ranging from the frivolous to the deadly serious ­ will prove invaluable.

Produced by Broadcasting Support Services to accompany the COMING OUT PARTY (an Alfalfa Productions production for Channel 4) first shown on Channel 4 in April 1998 Writer: Simon Fanshawe Editor: Paula Snyder Editorial consultant: Nancy Duin Designer: Broadcasting Support Services Broadcasting Support Services provides follow-up services for viewers and listeners and runs long-term helplines