A campaign aimed at encouraging gays and lesbians to "come out" gets under way this week. Sheila McWattie reports.

Homophobic attacks are on the increase in Brighton, a town famous for its high proportion of gay residents and visitors.

As National Coming Out Day approaches, safety is a vital issue for gay people of all ages.

Coming out in Brighton and Hove is still a major challenge.

National Friend, the gay helpline organisation, will co-ordinate National Coming Out Day, offering 24 hours of extra telephone support across the UK from midnight on Friday to midnight on Saturday.

The initiative aims to raise awareness and assist anyone affected by the challenge of facing their own sexuality or that of someone close to them.

Joan Beveridge, vice-chairwoman of Brighton and Hove's Diversity Alliance, a campaign group set up to challenge homophobic bullying in schools, supports the move.

She said: "Homophobic violence is common in schools. In Diversity Alliance's view, it is the responsibility of everyone, straight and gay, to create a comfortable environment for people to come out in families, in schools, and in workplaces."

Homophobic bullying can have devastating effects on an individual's relationships with friends, family and workmates.

In one recent study, 72 per cent of young lesbians and gay men reported playing truant or feigning illness to avoid homophobic abuse in school.

Internalised homophobia is one of the most insidious killers of our time.

According to mental health charity Mind, young gay people are three or four times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexuals.

Fear of coming out can lead to an all-consuming spiral of social exclusion, guilt and self-harming behaviour.

The Lesbian and Gay Advocacy Project, run by Brighton Mind, is unique in being set up by an organisation which is not exclusively lesbian and gay.

Rose Hall, advocacy worker at Mind, said: "Isolation is the worst feeling for most of our clients.

"People come to Brighton desperate for a safe, supportive gay environment and are often profoundly disappointed. If they have mental health problems, their experiences can be much worse.

"Services which empower people in building self-respect are essential to the health of our communities."

Two gay support groups run by Mind's Advocacy service are in such demand that they have a waiting list. Members reported an immense sense of relief in finding a safe environment to air their views and meet others.

It is common for members to have come out with no support at all, and to feel that the only way to meet others is through the pub scene.

Billy, 42, came out in Woking, eventually making his way to Brighton in the hope of finding like-minded people.

He said: "I was desperate to make contact but it has been really hard. The gay culture here can be very closed and full of cliques."

Paul, a 24-year-old gay man living in Sussex, has experienced homophobic taunts and bullying since the age of four.

Often suicidal, lonely and depressed, he still manages to maintain full-time employment. Driven to anorexia by his mental health issues, he has recently sought help from a clinical psychologist.

He said: "I finally came out to friends when I was 19. It felt liberating, cathartic - I really felt like I was my inner self.

"But I carry negative feelings about myself all the time, so although coming out was really important to me, I still have to learn to feel positive about being gay, and about being myself.

"I found a social group but I didn't have much in common with the people there. I didn't feel safe."

National Friend stresses the importance of recognising coming out as a process - a potentially liberating journey towards increased self-awareness and sense of security.

The group emphasises the contribution made by helplines all over the country towards breaking down isolation.

Brighton Lesbian and Gay Switchboard has been operating since 1975. A spokesperson said: "We're here for people to phone about going out, coming out or checking something out.

"Our one-to-one counselling service with trained professionals is a vital aspect of Switchboard.

"And we run a fortnightly social night for young lesbians and gay men aged 14 to 19 - we recognise that even in this town, it can be hard for gay teenagers to feel safe and good about themselves."

National Friend can be contacted on 08707 350 450, Brighton Lesbian and Gay Switchboard on 01273 204050 and the Lesbian and Gay Advocacy Project at Mind on 01273 739847.