Well, I didn't even know I was a lesbian when I was in high school so my answers aren't going to be from the pov of an out person.

Would you consider that your experience was positive or negative overall? Why?

Negative, because my inability to know who I am made me extremely fake and awkward with people. I spent more time daydreaming about befriending certain people than actually interacting. Lol

Do you feel like you missed out on certain things because you were gay or bi? If so, which things?

Indirectly, maybe. Like I said I didn't know who I was so that limited my enjoyment of life very much. I wish I could say that if I were straight or bi I'd have had some teenage romances but, honestly... I doubt. 😂

How do you feel being gay/bi has impacted you as a person?

Well. Realising I'm a lesbian had a very positive impact: I finally truly did find myself, pieces were put together, I put my life in order, and I now have goals and desires and am generally happy to be alive. Negative impact: uh... It made me so anxious and distressed I called the emergency number because I thought I was having a heart attack. Lol yes. I'm embarrassed. I remember the sigh of the lady on the other end telling me "this is just anxiety, ma'am." 😳

Do you feel like it's important for you to have other gay friends or is it indifferent?

Yes. My childhood friend is gay, and growing up together was. Hm. I don't know what word to use. I feel very lucky, that's all. The chances of this happening are very slim, so I'm glad this chance fell upon me. We have been calling each other brother/sister since middle school lol

I need to befriend other lesbians though, because that helps immensely with the self-acceptance. Dating does too. But neither are my area of expertise sadly 🤣

In summary, I think my personality screwed me over way more than my sexual orientation as a teenager. But did it play a role? Was I so lost because I was in denial and couldn't accept myself or was I in denial because I was lost? Hard to say.