LGBTQ Nation asked our elder readers to tell us how life has changed for LGBTQ+ people in the past decades, and we got a lot of responses! Here’s one of them.

Reader Becky summed up what has changed for LGBTQ+ people in her lifetime in just two words: “More acceptance.”

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“LGBTQ+ people don’t need to ‘hide in the shadows’ anymore,” she told LGBTQ Nation. “It’s no longer taboo, or considered ‘the big family secret’ no one talks about… ‘Ooooh, Uncle Dave is gay… but we don’t talk about it, because it’s shameful.'”

It might be easy to lose sight of this fact, considering the current political landscape. And even though polling shows some small declines in support for LGBTQ+ rights in the past couple of years, we’re still doing a lot better than we were decades ago.

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And this isn’t just about people’s opinions; it’s also about the structures in place to support LGBTQ+ people.

“I feel there’s also a bigger support system in place for those who are just coming out, or struggling to come out,” Becky said. “There’s so, so many resources and support groups for LGBTQ+ folks now, more than what was available even 15 years ago.”

For Becky, this has helped her feel more confident in herself, to “not feel ashamed, or ‘dirty’ or ‘damaged'” and “to know that there’s nothing wrong with me and that when the time is right and I feel fully comfortable to come completely out, people will accept me.”

Now Becky has some advice for younger LGBTQ+ people: “Just be yourself.”

“For those who are just coming out, or struggling to come out, I see you. I love you. Your feelings are valid. You are accepted. You are loved. You are worthy. The world is a better place with you in it.”

If you’re an LGBTQ+ elder and you want to share your story with us, please use this form.

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