YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!!  Studies over the last few decades suggest that as much as 10% of the population is gay.  That means, if there are 1000 people in your school, probably around 100 of them are gay.  Some of them may be out to everyone and you probably know who they are.  Some may only be out to their friends, while others might have never told anyone.  And some of them might not have even accepted it themselves yet.

There is NOTHING wrong with you!  Some people have red hair, some people need glasses, some people are gay.  It's just one more part of who you are.  There are bad people out there who can only feel good about themselves by putting other folks down, and they will say that gay people are bad.  But who cares what they think?  They're just a bunch of nerds anyway.

You CAN be anything you want to be; being gay doesn't change that.  My gay friends include doctors, lawyers, artists, military officers, scientists, students, dancers, Web designers, actors, teachers, flight attendants, cops, union leaders, and folks in all sorts of businesses.  Sure, sometimes you may need to be kinda discreet, like if you've got a homophobic boss, or you're in the military, something like that.  But that doesn't mean you can't do those jobs, it just means you might need to keep your personal life away from work -- which isn't a bad idea, even for straight people!  Remember, the only person who can limit your success is YOU, so if there's something you want to do, whether it's a cool job, doing volunteer work, going skydiving, whatever, then go out and do it!!!!!

You DON'T need to tell everyone you know right away, unless you really, really want to.  Sometimes, when people accept that they're gay, they feel like telling the world.  But if you've just accepted it yourself, why not get used to the idea first?  Then, when there are people you want to tell, just remember that it might be as big a surprise to them as it was to you!  Folks will tell you that if your friends dislike you because you're gay, they aren't really your friends to begin with.  I think that's true, but remember that when people are faced with a surprise, they may say things immediately that they don't really mean.  So just take your "outing" one step at a time.

You DO need to be whoever you are.  Don't feel like you have to dress, act, walk, talk, or do anything different just because you're gay.  If you're Goth, don't start listening to Broadway showtunes unless you want to.  If you wear Levis and sandals, don't bankrupt yourself at Abercrombie & Fitch just because you saw their ad in a gay magazine.  If you're a kandy raver, don't give that up for black turtlenecks and poetry readings unless you're in the mood for a change.  If you're carrying a few extra pounds, well, contrary to what XY Magazine might say, you don't have to be thin enough to see through!  If you want to do drag, do drag; if you don't, don't!  Be who you are, not who the media (both gay and straight) might tell you you're supposed to be.

You DON'T have to do drugs.  Party drugs, and the really hard stuff too, can be found among both gay and straight people.  But because the gay community is so much smaller, it may seem like EVERYONE is doing it.  Don't be fooled!  Rolling on X, swirling on G, and dropping into a K-hole have nothing to do with being gay.  And in my humble opinion, if you need to do drugs or get drunk just to think you're having fun, you might want to ask yourself why that is.  Not only can it be pretty unhealthy, but it's a lot easier for someone to take advantage of you.  Trust me, I know from a bad experience that alcohol can lead you to do things you wouldn't normally do.

The decision to have SEX is totally up to you.  Don't let people talk you into it if you don't want to do it, and don't let people talk you out of it just because they think sex is bad.  Being gay doesn't mean you have to run around having sex with everything that moves, it just means that, when you do have sex, it's with someone who has the same equipment as you!  Sex is a lot of fun, and when the right time and person come along, and you feel ready, have a great time.  But please, please, PLEASE be safe!!!