Does Your Family Know?

[Nessa]

Just wondering, because my folks have no idea and my friends haven't come out about it either. So who have you told?

[Captain Pelle]

About my sexuality, I've never had to tell. My parents has always been open minded and always told me that is was okay to love whoever I wanted...so I've liked both girls,guys and others since I was small.

But about my gender it wasn't the same thing, But it wasn't a big thing telling...and everyone around me know now :o

[William Steelsmith]

one of my sister's know but that's because she came out to me.... I'm not sure if I will ever come out to most of my family  because they're very Right wing and think that it's not ok to be gay (bi for me). I have come out to my friends though and they are 100% supportive!

[Alyssa Rae]

I've been officially "out" to my friends since senior year of high school-- although they all knew that I was confused for about 5 years before that, and was just avoiding coming out as "bisexual" because of all the negative assumptions people make about that particular label, but I sucked it up and came out Sr year.

The summer after my freshman year of college I came out to my parents.  They both already pretty much knew (a few years prior I had I really great conversation with my dad about what I was feeling, and that I really wasn't sure if I was straight, or a lesbian or what was going on, and he had been really supportive), but I felt it was important to make sure they knew for sure-- that I was officially secure in my identity as bisexual and that I felt they had the right to know.

Sidenote: I personally think that it's a matter of circumstance, but I do think that being open about one's sexuality is important, because it gives the community more visibility.  And without visibility, we cannot make more allies-- and boy do we need more allies.  But of course, I understand those who do not come out because they fear losing those closest to them, or even for their own personal safety.  So it's absolutely not my place to tell others what is right for them.

[Xander Geisser]

I've been out as pansexual since I was 14 (to everyone but my parents). It wasn't a big deal to any of my friends but I was too afraid to tell my parents at the time. My plan was to tell them when I was in a relationship that I would have to hide otherwise. Then I realized that I'm transgender, and I figured that it was probably something that I should tell my parents. I did, and they weren't happy about it, but I'm glad that they know. Hopefully they'll get to a place where they can accept the fact that I'm queer. All of my friends know that I'm trans, and all of them are very supportive. Overall the experience wasn't as bad as it could have been.

[Cheyenne Corrick]

I'm pretty open about my sexuality. Not like tattoo-it-on-my-face-in-neon-colors open, but I'll be honest with anyone who asks. I'm not really worried about haters or judgment at this point. I've grown pretty comfortable in my skin. The fact remains that unless you do something particularly exploitable then go flapping your lips about it, no one in my school would even know you were or were not, did or did not, et cetera, and it wouldn't be a big deal. So not many people actually know. It was a bit hard coming out to my friends at first, cause I didn't know what they'd say, but after a minor freak out from my best friend, that was about it. Most people are actually pretty surprised when I tell them I'm bi. Like, they wouldn't have pegged me for that kind of person or something. But after they find out, they either support me, or don't care one way or another. Go figure.

[Nichole Ashlynn]

My parents and brother definitely don't, but my sister might. Which is fine either way, really.

[Mary Napier]

Me and my mom already don't speak, for other reasons. And she's a homophobe anyways so it wouldn't help our relationship. My dad has cancer and it's not one more thing that needs to be on his mind.

[Jam Connolly]

all of my family know.. I'm out and proud to the world.

I came out to my mum when i was only 15. Some one had used the house phone and rung up a £150 (ish) bill calling XXX HOT GIRLS (or some thing of a similar name, u know what of those tacky str8 porn hotline things) and of corse with there only being 1 teenage boy in the house hold i was instantly to blame. Low and behold it wasn't in fact me, and after about an hours worth of quite heated argument it ended with me say "it couldn't be me, I'm gay, why the hell would i call some hot chicks" (with a bit more swearing in there too but i wont repeat those bits.) I then added "oh god*, did i really just tell you that" and promptly walked out of the room.  well about an hour later my mum walked into my room hugged me and said "well i should have guessed really son, you where always way to good at getting along with women. But if it wasn't you then who the hell made this call!?" We never did find that out but after that mum was fine with it and insisted on meeting any guys i was dating lol.

Comming out to my dad was a bit more tricky. it didn't happen until i was 17. My very resonantly ex boy friend had ended up in hospital, and it looked like he wasn't every going to come out again (thankfully hes ok now). To make matters worse his parence knew we where a cupple and quite frankly HATED me. They said I "spoiled their perfect son by turning him gay" and banned me for being allowed to visit him. When ever I tryed the nurses would just tell me he was still in a coma and that they still werted allowed to let me visit him and asked me to leave. Well of corse this had a bit of a big impact on me, i was very unhappy at home and every where else. My dad not being a comply blind fool could see this and kept asking what was up. Id always just brush him off as the last thing i wanted to tell him was that my boyfriend was in dying in hospital, as he was so relguse it just wasn't worth risking dealing with him when i was already in such a state. Well in the end my mum told him. His reaction was epic. This first i knew that he knew about it was in the car pulling up to the hospital. It turns out that as soon as he found out he went to the hospital (with his many, bigoted brothers) and given the other dad such a telling off that I was allowed to visit him now. So after that every 1 knew. It took him another 2 years or so mind to to really come to terms with it, and i cant cant kiss a guy in front of him or anything but on the whole hes okay "its not the life he would have chosen for me" but he doesn't mind

as for all my friends. well as soon and i finished school i came out to them, and all my new friends in college knew from the start. Living in the closest sucks and I'm so glade that i don't have to do it.

[Steph Crandall]

My mother knows, but sometimes she forgets because it's not a subject that comes up a lot and I don't live at my parents' house anymore. Honestly, the only way I would tell my dad is if 1) decided I ever want to get married and 2) that person ends up being female. My dad is racist, homophobic and everything in between. He worked at a jail as an officer/sergeant, is incredibly paranoid and now losing his mind to probably early onset Alzheimer's.  

[Genny Baratta]

I haven't told my parents*shudders* but I have told several of my "family members" in the drama club that I'm bisexual and all of them have have taken it pretty well. I have also told several people not in drama and they have taken it pretty well too. In fact one girl I told is bi as well! I plan to come out to the rest of my drama family and non drama friends on National Coming Out Day.

[Kat]

I haven't told mine... I thought about it years ago, and I was seriously going to do it and I bottled out. 4 years later, I'm still not out to them. 

Oops. 

[Arianna Shika]

My folks, brother and cousins my age know. My brother and cousins don't care, but my folks have told me that I'm just confused, because I'm a generally "confused" person - I'm not bi, I'm just confused. I'm not in love with my ex (who's only an ex because of distance), I'm just confused. Toronto's not my home, HK is, and I'm just confused. My friends don't actually think I'm worthwhile, I've just confused myself into thinking that they do. I can't be independent, I'm just confused. I shouldn't think for myself and be myself, I'd only be confused.

I am confused about a few things, actually. I'm confused as to why I have to listen to them tell me that they "don't recognize me anymore" and how they miss their "baby". I thought kids were supposed to grow up and leave to make a life for themselves. Oh wait, I forgot. That only works if a) you have money and b) if you're male.

Sorry, I'm a bit bitter :P