SAVE $30: As of July 28, you can get an Apple Magic Keyboard on sale

From what makes red velvet cake red (and velvet, for that matter) to its highly dubious origin story, here’s what you need to know about this delicious dessert.

If you're sick of getting unknown callers that are usually spam calls on WhatsApp, there's

Snapchat is releasing new app safeguards to protect teen users (aged 13-17) from unknown users

AUSTIN, Texas & SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 26, 2023--

Coming out can be hard at any age, but by the time you’re well into adulthood it may feel terrifying, and be completely life-changing. Many people who come out in their thirties and onwards may have wanted to for a long time but not felt safe enough to do so. As October 11 marks National Coming Out Day, it’s important to reflect on how, if and when people can share their authentic selves. “I wasn’t raised in a time when it felt safe to express attraction to women,” says author and creative mentor Fiona Fletcher Reid, who came out last year at the age of 35. “I wasn’t sure about my sexuality until I had psychosexual therapy and was able to explore all the layers of internalised homophobia and repression that I had accumulated over my 35 years,” she says. So, how you can support someone who is going through it? Don’t assume everyone is the same Not every person’s coming out looks the same, and some LGBTQ+ experiences are not universal. “Coming out is a personal experience and because it is often physically and emotionally dangerous to be openly queer, lots of people never feel able to be open,” says Fletcher Reid, now 36. “Some people might feel free to come out once they have ended a particular relationship, or after meeting people who they feel safe around. “For others, like me, it’s that we don’t consciously acknowledge our sexuality until we are a lot older and have the confidence to work through the emotional implications and real-life consequences that come with that,” The writer, from Glasgow, was going through a divorce at the time with a man she’d been with since the age of 17. “During therapy, I talked a lot about the pain I was experiencing during intercourse as well as my general anxiety around sex. It wasn’t until I’d built up a trusting relationship with my therapist that I felt able to discuss the fact that I thought I might be gay and I did not expect that to come up, so I was just as surprised as everyone else when I came out.” Don’t question their authenticity Validate what the person who has come out is saying. “Don’t say, ‘Are you sure?’ because you can rest assured that the person coming out to you has thought long and hard about this,” says Fletcher Reid. “Casting self-doubt on someone when they have opened up a vulnerable part of themselves to you is hurtful.” Don’t question them about their sex life It’s no one else’s business. “Please don’t ask about whether they have been intimate with anyone, or any other sort of suggestion that they need to ‘prove’ their sexuality to you,” she stresses. Consider what they feel and accept that it is a big deal They are probably feeling “a mix of emotions, including excited, happy, empowered and scared for their safety”, says Fletcher Reid. “Sadly coming out can still cause huge ruptures in relationships so be aware that this is a huge moment for them and comes with real consequences. “Dismissing their experience as ‘not a big deal’ because you think it’s ‘normal to be gay’ now is a dangerous and false narrative.” It may sound simple, but just listening and supporting them is vital. “Be there to listen and try to celebrate all the new things that they are exploring as they come out, whether that’s dating, meeting new people or finding ways to experiment with their identity through fashion,” says Fletcher Reid. “Repeat often that you love and care for them and that you accept this evolution of them, that you are happy to see them happy.” Suggest they find community “Encourage them to talk to other people who have been through similar experiences if you can,” she says. “As much as friends and family want to understand what they are going through, it is far more validating to talk to someone else who has come out later in life and understands the emotional intricacies of the experience. “They can also hopefully show them that there are good times ahead.” Thank them for sharing with you “It is a privilege that someone trusts you with coming out, especially later in life. Tell them that you are honoured to have been trusted with this information, and reassure them that you will keep it private until they are ready to tell other people,” Fletcher Reid suggests. “The best reactions that I had from people were seeing their joy that I had discovered this important part of myself, and that had a huge impact on my ability to feel hopeful amidst the pain caused by my divorce. “Allowing them to feel conflicted and guilty and offering reassurance that they have the right to be themselves will make them feel so much happier.” Read More Israel-Hamas conflict: How to talk to teenagers about distressing news stories Autumn décor ideas for a seasonal refresh Why you shouldn’t tidy your garden too much in autumn World Mental Health Day: 5 ways to beat anxiety and change your life Alternative veg to grow for next season How to spot if your child is struggling with their mental health – and what to do next

Chloe Bailey was left in distress after she recently accidentally ate a beef burger, interrupting 10 years of dedicated veganism. The Little Mermaid star, 25, and her younger sister Halle Bailey, 23, have both been vegans for the last decade and have been outspoken about their dietary choices. However, Chloe revealed in an Instagram Live stream that she was mistakenly served red meat instead of a plant-based Beyond Meat burger over the weekend, just before attending Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour concert in Atlanta, Georgia. According to Chloe, the incident occurred on Saturday (12 August) after she ordered burgers for her and Halle in the hotel they were staying in before the show. She told fans: “So I called to get a Beyond Burger for sis and I like usual. Specified that it’s vegan, no butter on the bun, nothing like that. “So we get the burgers, I’m getting out of the shower… and she’s eating the burger and she’s like, ‘Are you sure this is Beyond?’” Confident in her ordering, Chloe said it was. However, when she took a bite of the burger herself, she realised something was wrong. The “Do It” singer continued: “I touched the patty and smelled it and was like, ‘Of course it’s Beyond, yeah’. So I finish getting dressed, I take a bite and the juice dripping from the burger is not like a Beyond burger. I just knew it was not a fake burger. “The one bite I took and I just knew. Immediately I said, ‘This doesn’t feel right’.” She quickly rang the hotel’s front desk to ask if they delivered vegan burgers to her hotel room. However, the concierge’s answer horrified her. “He said, ‘No, they’re brand burgers’. I said, ‘Brand burgers? I said Beyond burgers’. I don’t even know what a brand burger is,” she told fans on the livestream. “Immediately I’m losing my s***. I gobbled down a whole can of Sprite. Halle’s laughing at me because I’m crying. This is right before the concert yesterday. I’m crying, Halle’s just laughing so hard at me because I’m freaking out. “I’ve been vegan for 10 years. I have not consumed any red meat for 10 years,” Chloe added. The clip was shared on the celebrity news Instagram account The Shade Room, and prompted sympathy from other vegetarian and vegan fans. “I’m vegetarian and it’s definitely hard to tell the difference sometimes but you know the taste of real meat and that stomach ache ain’t no joke,” one person commented. Another said: “My first time eating meat after a full vegan diet, my stomach… revolted.” Halle said in a 2017 interview with Complex that the sisters went vegan because of their mother. She explained: “One day, she was like, ‘I’m gonna try to be vegetarian for a week. You can join me if you’d like’. We started the week with her and just never went back.” In an awkward red carpet exchange at the premiere of live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, Halle was asked who she would choose to eat between Flounder and Sebastian. In the film, Flounder is a fish and Sebastian is a crab. She responded: “I would not eat either of them. They’re my friends." Read More The millionaire smuggled out of Japan in a box: Was Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn a victim or a villain? Husband ‘ruins’ dinner because of his wife’s typo: ‘The worst kind of control freak’ Billy Porter hits out at Harry Styles and Anna Wintour over Vogue cover: ‘You’re using my community’ How sizzling kitchen drama The Bear is spicing up the dating game for chefs Mick Fleetwood says his Hawaii restaurant was ‘lost’ in devastating Maui wildfires Where to find the best Guinness in London – and how to spot a bad one

As Musk remakes the company formally known as Twitter in his own image, mementos of

Ukrainian explosives expert Valeriy Onul lost his lower right leg after stepping on a landmine, but it hasn't stopped him returning...

After their collaborations on 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, I will watch anything that

Many millions of Chinese tourists are expected to travel within their country, splurging on hotels, tours, attractions and meals in a boost to the economy during the 8-day autumn holiday period that began Friday

Welcome, Wordlers! As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you