[Goofy]

Originally Posted by Queerasfck

Not to be a buzz kill, as I do agree it's nice to find other people "like you" when you are first trying to come out or find your way. But honestly, sometimes the path of self discovery and acceptance is not easy for some and it can take years and years of baby steps. Because of the world we live in--I'm sure we've all seen a lot of brothers and sisters suffering with self-hate, living in fear of family members, friends, employers finding out they are gay, bi, trans, queer, whatever/however they i.d. moreover, sometimes because of the journey and what it entails people get depressed, angry, withdrawn, and even worse. The online community is important. I just feel like sometimes people who are struggling need more and many of the answers they are looking for can't be found in the frivolity of surfing around online. Advice found online could be like a band-aid for someone who has a bullet wound.
Giving our perspectives and sharing our stories is great but I don't know what kind of answers it could give anyone who is really lost.

Sharing stories about one's own experiences isn't necessarily "advice."

I was on active duty in the Army and stationed in Germany for a few years. Searching for and finding answers to questions I had any place other than the internet simply wasn't an option for me. I happened upon the dash site and reading people's experiences and struggles, some so very much like my own, gave me hope. Hope that I wasn't alone, hope that there were others like me. Hope that I might find someone who would love me for who I am, and who I could love in return. I could go on, but I think I'll save that for another time.

I'll come back later and share my experiences in the hope that it may help someone else, in the way those older posts helped me.