With greater acceptance of the LGBT community, young adults and even teenagers are coming out earlier and earlier to their friends, families and even in the workplace. So if you know that you're gay and are ready to share the news, then there are a few ways to do it. First of all, weed out the haters. It's a sad fact of life that there are people who will not accept you for who you are. Unfortunately, those people can include those closest to you - i.e., your family. If you feel that you'd be ostracized or cut off financially and simply cannot afford it, then perhaps coming out to those people should be delayed until you're more independent. Finding someone you trust and who cares about you is a great place to start. This person should be someone who knows you well and accepts you for who you are already. And if he or she knows you well enough, they might expect you to come out, which makes things easy. Do not ambush your trusted person, however, and don't approach coming out in a confrontational, love-it-or-leave-it way.
It's perfectly fine to let those close to you know that you have felt this way for quite some time and that you're happy being gay and don't plan to change. It's also wise to give them an opportunity to ask questions and express concerns. For those less involved in your life, such as coworkers and those on social networks, it's entirely up to you as to how to handle them. The more casual you are about your sexuality, the less of a big deal it will be to others. So perhaps a casual conversational mention about your life might reveal it, or you might want to use Facebook's new marital status of civil unions and domestic partnerships to express your sexual orientation. Regardless of the manner in which you come out, know that there is support for those who aren't quite secure in their sexual identity, such as the Trevor Project and the Human Rights Campaign. Gay-friendly therapists are found all over the country as well. Keep those who support you close, and hopefully, your announcement will be liberating, not limiting.