Why Sexuality Is Important: The Benefits of Coming to Terms with Yours

PUBLISHED Apr 14th, 2021 & UPDATED ON Nov 30th, 2022

Isn’t it strange how there is the expectation that everyone is straight unless they say otherwise? This expectation is called compulsory heterosexuality. It’s a totally patriarchal and heteronormative idea that heterosexuality is the “natural” and expected state for people to default to.

It’s enforced in society starting when kids are just babies. BABIES! You might not think this is the case, but how many times has a little baby boy smiled at someone and a person says, “Oh he’s going to be a ladies man one day!” Probably a lot. But we don’t know if that child will grow up to be gay, bi, trans, pan, poly, or asexual! And we’ve only listed just a few of the ways individuals can express their gender identity and sexual orientation. Although we know that sexuality is fluid, society has decided that the baseline for sexual identification is heterosexual.

This can make coming to terms with your sexuality really difficult. You’re put into one box your whole life when inside, you know you were meant to be in a different one or no box at all! It creates an internal struggle that many people in the queer community go through and it can cause a lot of emotional pain.

This is why it’s important to accept your sexuality–whatever that might look like for you.

Questioning your sexuality and coming to terms with it can be a hard thing to do sometimes. If you’re one of the lucky people who has always known their sexual identity and came out at an early age or just was Queer, congrats! That’s amazing! However, some of us realized that they’re part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community in their mid-twenties. We’re a little late to the game but that’s ok!

The important thing is that you’ve accepted your sexuality. Why? Because there are a ton of benefits that come along with it!

1. Improved Mental Wellness

Accepting your sexuality actually has incredible mental health benefits. Many studies show that people who come out, or at least accept their sexual identity, have lower stress markers, fewer mental health problems, and less of a chance of physically hurting and harming themselves.

Being accepting of who you are takes away the pressure of keeping this big and important secret inside of you. Trying to pretend that you don’t feel a certain way can be painful and cause a lot of trauma to a person.

Accepting who you are is kind of like popping a balloon. You’re filled with all of this pressure and your emotions build up so much that it hurts! But then you POP the balloon and the pressure is released. You can breathe again, relax, and be yourself!

2. Increase in Self Esteem

When you accept your sexuality, you often become more sure of yourself, and more content with the life you’re living. Accepting this part of who you are allows you to live the way you were meant to and create the kind of life that you want.

You’ll be able to walk around with confidence knowing that you’re Queer af (in the best ways of course)!

3. Being Part 0f a Community

Being part of a community to many people means being accepted. When you accept your sexuality, you’re then able to create connections with people in the Queer Community. It gives you a sense of belonging, safety, and the feeling of unconditional love from the people around you.

Many people in the Queer Community have gone through some hard shit and have come together to create a place of love. Being part of something so supportive will help you create your own little family in an environment where people accept you for who you are, unconditionally.

4. Building Your Identity

Finally coming to terms with and accepting your sexuality can feel like a breath of fresh air. A weight is lifted off of your shoulders because you are finally able to live as your true self.

You might’ve heard the term “authentic self” before, and it can kind of seem cheesy, but it’s accurate! Living as your authentic self can be such a freeing experience. No chains. No weights. Nothing to hold you down!

5. Deepening Relationships

Hiding your sexuality can be painful. It can feel like you’re keeping a large part of yourself from the people you love and care about the most. But once you share this side of yourself, the relationships with these people can deepen and become even stronger than before!

People tend to connect when we share vulnerable parts of ourselves. It shows that we can trust the other person while still bonding over experiences. It creates a support system over time and helps people build healthy relationships together.

Soooo, cry your eyes out and share your story! You might just make a new best friend.

6. Dating Who You Want

When you come out and accept your sexuality, you get to make out with whoeverrrr you want! You don’t have to kiss people or go on dates with the gender you aren’t attracted to anymore. You get to go out with hot people who you have a genuine attraction to!

No more compulsory heterosexuality here!

Ready to meet some amazing, new people? Taimi is a LGBTQ+ social network and dating app with over 10 million users! Whether you’re looking for romance, new friends, to network, or just to chat with someone for fun, Taimi is a safe and secure space for people of all gender and sexuality identities and expressions.

Accepting your sexuality can feel like you’ve finally realized the fullest version of yourself. But we’re going to tell you that it’s always going to be a journey of self-discovery, and that’s ok! This is just the beginning of a fantastic and beautiful process where you will continually find new and amazing pieces of yourself that you weren’t able to express before.

So, we’ll be the first to say hello! It’s nice to meet you. We’re so glad that you came out to join us!

*This article is sponsored by Taimi.