How did you come out to your parents?
I came out to my Mum first when I was 17. I was scared and had tried to do it so many times before, but I finally picked up the courage and told her I was confused about my sexuality and that I thought I liked girls. Her reaction was something I didn't expect, she laughed at me thinking I was joking for about five minutes whilst I was crying trying to convince her I was gay. She accepted it and we've had some ups and downs recently but she's getting over the suprise and loves me for who I am, not because of my sexuality.
What did you say?
I told my friends next, who I was really scared to tell but they've all been amazing, then I told the rest of my family. Then the last person I told was my Dad, we have never really been close since he walked out on me and my Mum, but I didn't want him to hear it off a stranger in the street, so My Mum told him, he then visited me and told me he had gay tendencies too when he was young, but he got over them. I told him I wasn't curious I was gay and we haven't spoke much since, he told me he wanted to talk to me about it, but then got a bit nasty so I decided not to talk to him about it. I'm his little girl, so hopefully he'll come around but to be honest.
I don't really care if he doesn't which might sound sad but he's never really payed much of a role. I have the most amazing family and friends I could ever ask for, and they are all accepting and love the fact I'm gay, there extremely supportive and let me know how proud I they are of me. Now I have an amazing Girlfriend to who my family love and my friends love, maybe one day my Dad will too but for now I'm happy being me, I feel like I can be myself now, and the people who say things about me, the people who aren't happy for me well I don't need them, I have amazing people in my life who replace the horrible ones.
Advice
- I don't regret anything about coming out, I feel so much better now I don't have this big secret, and thinking people won't accept me. Coming out was the best thing I did. I know when people say "If they don't accept you they weren't really friends anyway" But they are your friends so you do get scared of them rejecting you, I was, but the chances are they will love you anyway, and your family. They might react bad at first, or appear to be acting weird around you but that's just the shock, and the suprise. Everyone needs time, and once they've had time they will be fine, and accept you and love you.
