To mark International Coming Out Day, Coronation Street actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, who plays Hayley Cropper, has been helping Manchester's Lesbian & Gay Foundation raise awareness of issues around coming out.
The charity offer a 24 hour online (mailto:helpline@lgf.org.uk and telephone helpline support for people questioning their sexuality, coming out and for those who are out and proud but need to talk. Julie helped on the LGF helpdesk putting calls through to the charity’s team of trained staff and volunteers.
She said: “Anything that lets people know that there is a safe space to talk about things is a fantastic thing. Coming out is something that you tend to associate with younger people, but actually a lot of people – as I’ve heard from being here today – have come in who are much older who have been living in a certain way all their lives, and now feel like it’s time to tell the truth about themselves but have no idea how to do that – especially how to address it with their friends and family."
"The vast experience of the people here and the counsellors, can help them with that and just make them feel safe in their decision and let them know that they are not alone.”
She added: ”It’s an incredible power of soap that you can educate people in a very gentle way just by familiarity. It’s something that people can relate to."
She said: “Anything that lets people know that there is a safe space to talk about things is a fantastic thing. Coming out is something that you tend to associate with younger people, but actually a lot of people – as I’ve heard from being here today – have come in who are much older who have been living in a certain way all their lives, and now feel like it’s time to tell the truth about themselves but have no idea how to do that – especially how to address it with their friends and family."
"The vast experience of the people here and the counsellors, can help them with that and just make them feel safe in their decision and let them know that they are not alone.”
She added: ”It’s an incredible power of soap that you can educate people in a very gentle way just by familiarity. It’s something that people can relate to."
With thanks to Pink Paper for this story.
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