Being who you are

My heart was breaking last night for Mondo on Project Runway.  Hearing his story was like a punch in the gut.  (When he finally came out to his mother, she told him not to tell the rest of the family.  He's been HIV positive for ten years and never told a soul, until last night via a reality television program.)  It's heart-wrenching to think someone can't be themselves to his or her family.  How do I instill in my children to be true to themselves and be who they are?  How do I teach them to be confident in themselves to be who they are no matter the situation?  I know I wasn't this way, and I still have issues with it.  How do we break that cycle in our children?  Can I ask any more questions in this posting?