The holiday season is approaching quickly and for many lgbt people it is a difficult time. I am lucky to have a really inclusive family who allows others into the circle and has always been supportive of my friends and guys that I have dated. Many LGBT people don't experience this same type of inclusive welcoming experience and end up spending the time from Thanksgiving to New Years either alone or with limited contact with biological relatives. I have always thought that family is not defined by who you are biologically related to but whom you choose to call your family. It could be neighbors, friends, coworkers, or other social contacts. So often we are conditioned to think that if we do not have a supportive bio family that we are completely alone in the world. If you don't have that contact right now with your biological family then I would encourage you to reach out to your friends and others and invite them over. Social isolation is one of the leading contributors to substance abuse, depression, and anxiety and only worsens this time of year. We all need contact with other human beings and making sure we reach out to each other can help relieve the social pressures. If you are alone during the season and are experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, there are resources to help. 211 has a number of resources including emergency mental health counselors to talk with online and referrals for those experiencing more serious issues. Never be afraid to speak upand talk about your mental health concerns especially during the holiday season when they can be the most difficult to deal with.
This is a great question....but it's too bad that you can only choose one answer. I ended up choosing "family of choice" even though I do spend some of my holidays with biological family, too (both mine and my husband's).....the important thing, however, is that as an adult I've come to realize that even those biological family members are family of choice because I/we make the conscious decision only to have relationships with family members with whom we can set expectations and boundaries around respecting me, my husband and our relationship!