How did you come out?
I have several coming out stories...here they are.
I told my best friends Lindsay and Rose first, in the early summer of 2006. We had just graduated and we were sitting in Lindsay's living room at her mom's house. When I told them, their collective response was...."DUHHHHHHH!" Their response gave me the strength to move from the small town in North Texas where I was born and raised, to Orlando, Florida to work for Walt Disney World and be my self. Upon working at WDW I learned that it was ok to be me, that guys who like guys were an everyday occurrence. I WAS NOT ALONE! HALLELUJAH! I moved from TX to FL in August of 2006 and waited to tell my mother until about February or March of 2007.
My Mom and Dad raised me for most of my life, but my Meme and Pappy (grandmother and late grandfather) that I will most definitely write about in many of my stories, is the reason I turned out the way I did. Although I give my parents the props they deserve for raising me, clothing me, and feeding me, I owe an incredible amount to Meme for the way I turned out; the non-judgmental, loving, and passionate man I've become. However I decided to tell my Mom first. I called her in early 2007 at night after talking all night at work to my good friend Gino about how to come out. I was totally convinced it was time, but didn't know if I should call, text, or email. Gino helped me decide that "the call" was the right way to go.
We talked about everything under the sun as I sat on my bed with my stomach churning and my face turning every color of the rainbow out of nervousness. Sweaty palms, check. Nervous chat, check. It was time. I said, "mom...I need to talk to you about something. No, no, no I don't need money. No, no, I'm fine...kinda. I just have been keeping something inside for a long time."
At this point I'm starting to cry and get shaky. I went on, "I...I just want you to know that I love you, and want you to love me...and want you to know that I'm gay." She was already crying before I could get the sentence out.
She replied, "Oh honey, I love you so much, and will always love you no matter what."
Even when writing this I become a little emotional because its almost like I'm reliving the moment, and realizing what it felt like to finally have my big secret out and on the table. Not to mention a phenomenal response from my mother. The next day I received a phone call from my then 15 year old sister that my mom had talked to her and she told me that she loved me and she sort of knew that already. Then a couple hours later my Meme called...oh Good Lord.
She said, "well.....I just talked to your mother. And honey, I love you. And I just want to talk really quickly about safe sex..." I couldn't get her off the phone quick enough, I started to cough and told her that I had to go!
Flash forward to Christmas of 2007 I decided to tell my dad. This is a quick story. I called on the way home from work. Flat out told him. He said, "....yeah." Done and Done. He then told my younger brother who seemed to not be phased in the slightest.
Skipping ahead to Summer of 2008, my Memaw (late grandmother on dad's side) came to visit me. We spent all week together playing in Disney World, and one night she took me out to The Cracker Barrel. I decided I should go ahead and fill her in on the situation. Before I got to the point, I was hinting around the real subject matter of my conversation. She started tearing up. I started tearing up. I finally got the words "I'm gay" out of my mouth. And she gave me the same outpouring of love the rest of my family had.
What an amazing experience my coming out had been. So much love in my family that I never really knew existed! I always knew they loved me, but I thought it was for the person they thought I was, not the person I really was. How about you? What is your story?
My coming out was quite different.....
ReplyDeleteMy parents were visiting me at my choir concert the end of my freshman year in college. I originally was planning on waiting until I was finished with college and on my own that way it was less of a blow to them, but I just could not hide my life anymore......
To make a long story short, my mother told me to get HIV and die, while my father told me I did not deserve to share his last name, and that I was an abomination.
20 months later, we began talking again for the first time, and it was strained at best. This strained relationship lasted a little over a year, when they decided to have a freak out after finding out that I did/am doing porn.
Stories like yours remind that people are doing the right thing out there. No one should be judged for who they love, EVER.
Excited to read more about your thoughts :)
Aiden,
ReplyDeletei've bee reading through your blog and you seem to be a very driven individual. thats amazing to see in young people today, a goal and the drive to get there.
i'm so sorry to hear of your coming out experience but i'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, it only made you stronger and you can use that strength to drive yourself further.
good luck!
-xoxo
MD
It's been a long time for me I came out when i was 20 I think now I am 60 years old.I fall in love with a women who was 45 did not lasted long and it was over.I have 3 good friends that are straight and 2 have boyfriends and one is with nobody wish she was with me.But i keep trying maybe one day?I am a dispatcher at the Orlando airport
ReplyDeleteRoselynn,
ReplyDeleteIts so great to hear from different generation! It will happen for you, you just have to keep believing and keep your heart out there for someone to fall in love with it ;0)
Hope to hear from you again, keep reading, keep posting comments, and we can get to know each other!
-xoxo
MD