{"id":118,"date":"2024-07-08T08:40:47","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T13:40:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lgbtrc\/?page_id=118"},"modified":"2026-04-06T08:53:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T13:53:07","slug":"questioning-support-and-resources","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/lgbtrc\/support-resources\/questioning-support-and-resources\/","title":{"rendered":"Questioning Support and Resources"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The process of questioning your sexuality or gender identity can be stressful and frightening, but it can also be playful, affirming, joyful, and fun! Below are some tips and resources to help you on your journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When questioning, asking yourself \u201cWhat do I want?\u201d and \u201cWhat would make me happy?\u201d can be more helpful than asking \u201cbut what AM I?\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t need to be 100% sure of your identity to have a reason to explore your sexuality or gender. If changing your pronouns, cutting your hair or growing it out, being with a certain person, or choosing not to be in a relationship (or anything else!) is something that you want, that\u2019s a good enough reason to try it! You don\u2019t need to prove your identity to anyone. You can just do what makes you happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to do if you\u2019re questioning your sexuality <\/a>is an article that includes some journaling prompts to help you think about your sexual orientation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or check out A Guide to Figuring Out Your Nonbinary Gender<\/a> from The Gender Playbook for some thoughts on gender questioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wishing to be gay\/bi\/ace\/etc. is often a sign of being that orientation.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you often find yourself wishing you were gay, or ace, or bi, or any other orientation, it\u2019s worth asking yourself why that might be. If it\u2019s because you really want to be with boys, or girls, or both (or no one), you might be that orientation!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, wanting to be a girl\/boy\/nonbinary person is often a sign of being that gender.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Only you can determine what your gender is, but if you find yourself consistently wanting to be a different gender\u2026you can be! You don\u2019t need anyone else\u2019s permission to start exploring your gender or thinking about transition, and you don\u2019t need to prove that you are the gender you want to be. If transitioning would make you happy, that\u2019s reason enough to pursue it! And if you want to be a certain gender but feel like it doesn\u2019t quite fit, it can be worth exploring other similar genders to the one that you\u2019re interested in. There are lots of diverse gender experiences out there, and if none of them fit, you can always create your own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out our\u00a0Glossary of Terms<\/a> page\u00a0for a list of frequently-used gender and sexuality terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exploration is good.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Experimenting with your gender and sexuality can give you new insight into yourself and help you learn new things about what you like. There\u2019s no wrong time to start exploring your identity. Some people are certain of their identity from a young age, and some don\u2019t start questioning until older adulthood. Sometimes people who are questioning their gender or sexuality worry that they are just faking or making up their feelings, but faking is something you have to do on purpose! If you were faking wanting to be LGBTQ+, you\u2019d know. That said, it\u2019s also okay if you question your gender and sexuality and end up deciding that you\u2019re straight and cisgender. All that means is that you\u2019re approaching your gender and sexuality with intention, after having thought about other people\u2019s experiences and thought seriously about what it is that you want for yourself. And that\u2019s pretty great!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It can be overwhelming to try to tackle all aspects of questioning at once, and big, sudden changes can feel disorienting. It\u2019s okay to take it slowly, and deal with one step at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, whatever you decide, you are good, important, and valuable just the way you are.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n