Hi. My name is Erik. I'm gay and I'm 13.

I know you're going to think that I'm very young to say I'm Gay, but you're wrong. Like all of you I've had to pretend otherwise in front of my friends and relatives.

But now that's changed. Today (31st of August, 2001) I've decided to come out of the closet and tell my best friend (I don't fancy him though) and my two best female friends and my cousin.

Well, it's not such a big thing with my cousin, she's my friend too.

Now I've told everyone except the boy I fancy. When he's sitting beside me, he leans on my shoulder (as a friend) and I sigh but I can't say anything because I'm afraid he'll start avoiding me. But one day I will tell him and I hope he'll understand. I don't know what I want to say to my family because they wouldn't like it. I told my other friends and they couldn't handle it so I said it was just a joke.

Well I've know I've been gay for 10 years (perhaps more). I'm sorry this message isn't as long as the others but my sister's just coming and I don't want her to read it.

See you,

Erik