Coming out/ expressing your personal struggles

Your mother seems incredibly supportive, I am sure that she will answer any questions that you have about what she was thinking.

When I came out my mother was shocked (in more than one way) and my step-father simply refused to speak to me, my half brothers ignored it. My mother claimed that it was an entire surprise to her but since I had come out to her more than once as a small child the only way that it really could have surprised her was because she spent her entire life in denial. She also expressed shock that anyone that she was related to could "choose to be a freak".

My no one should have been surprised. Every person who knew me as a child who was not a family member or in the cult that I grew up in just responded "oooohhh, that explains everything" when I came out to them.

Years later when I tried to ask my parents about my childhood they claimed that I was "perfectly normal" until puberty happened and that I also developed migraines about the same time.

 

I don't think anyone was terribly shocked when I came out. If they were, they didn't show it. My sister didn't flinch and was supportive from the moment I told her and when I was alone with my mother some months later she said it had been like the elephant in the room, even though she'd never said as much to my father. There are some members of my extended family who are more distant now. Even though they haven't said anything overtly homophobic to my face I am aware of a change in our relationship... in the rare conversations we now have they never ask about how I am doing and it's all rather awkward and cool. I know it's down to my sexuality.

There have been some surprises along the way. There are people who I expected to have problems with who have actually been fine and others who I expected to be supportive who are now quite distant.

Ultimately, I like who I am. I can hold my head eye and feel comfortable in my own skin and that's really the most important thing of all.

 

I came out to my brother only two months ago. He was completely shocked. Still is, probably. His initial response was priceless: 'But...but you like football.'

(Me: 'Yes - why do you think it's always been so important to me? It's been an easy way to fit in as male!')

 

My momma did not react kindly to me coming out as gay. We're good now, 12 years later, but it took about 3 years for her to stop being mean about it.

My father was more understanding and always apologized for my mom's behavior during that time. He always reminded me that his love for his son came first, no matter what.

Both my parents acted shocked at first but my dad later admitted he first saw signs of me being gay as young as 5 and by 13 heavily suspected something was up.

My little brother was supportive and the least shocked. He told me my never wanting to talk with him about girls was a big clue.

 

Just about everyone in my family reacted poorly to my coming out. :/ My older sister is the lone exception, but we ended up drifting apart for other reasons.

I came out to my mom via email, when she was in the other room. It was something like "what would you say if I was gay", to which she responded "you're not gay", then came out in the living room where I was sitting and started to announce to the household "Guess what Brian just sent me!"

It took the death stare of a life time to get her not to out me right then and there, and dear God, she did not react well when I started coming out proper shortly after.

 

My mom told me everything was fine. My dad turned on a Frank Zappa documentary and stopped paying attention to me.

Then they never addressed it again, except for a handful of times during the first year or so afterwards when they made kind of mean comments. Neither of them saw it coming, and they refused to believe that I was feeling what I was feeling for as long as I have been.

After they went quiet about it, I baked them a cake that expressly stated that I was queer. They wouldn't eat it.

I'm hitting a point now where I'm too distressed to care anymore, so I've got my mind made up to do whatever I have to, consequences be damned. I'm an adult, after all. I don't think they'll kick me out, and if they get unbearable well, I've built a nice little social circle and I'll couch surf for a while. Life's too short to live a lie.