Thursday 3 June 2010

What the hell do I do?

Before I start this entry, let me just say for the benefit any new readers or anyone who just didn't realise: I am not 'out' to my family (excepting my younger sister).

I've been home (back to N. Ireland for the summer) for a week and a half and I don't know how much longer I can stay here.  Not 'til September, that's for sure!  At least five times, remarks have been made about gay people, the gay lifestyle and generally how "wrong it is".  This is mainly coming from my parents.
I've been getting on really well with my mum (when she's here, that is), and it's been eating away at me for a long long time now that I need to come out to her.  However, tonight I was watching TV with my mum and I was flicking through the channels and 'Dawn Goes Lesbian' was on the listings.  Mum said "I watched that Dawn program before, it was disgusting."  I'm sure you can imagine where the conversation went from there.  I kept relatively quiet but asked her why it was so bad.  She started with "All these women dress up as men..." (I waited for her to finish and explain what was so disgusting, but apparently this was bad enough).  I said "....so?" and she was affronted that I didn't find this appalling.  She went on to tell me how vile this gay culture is and how wrong it is, etc etc.
Earlier in the evening a drag queen was on TV and both my parents shouted "Turn that over" and "That is just sick".
However, possibly the worst of all was last week when I was explaining to my mum why a character on TV didn't know who her mother was; "She has two dads".  Of course Mum didn't get it at first, but once it clicked, she said "That's disgusting.  That should be illegal."  I said simply, "No, it shouldn't" and she said "Yes, it should" and she gave me a look that I can't even describe.

Basically, I'm just a mess, because any hopes I ever had of being able to come out to my family are now completely trashed.  They are so closed-minded, so set on their views of right and wrong, and nothing I can do will ever persuade them otherwise.  Their up-bringing and their generation has a lot to do with this, but mainly it's due to religion.  I was brought up Christian, and it's been so hard for me to even accept myself as gay; I don't think I can ever expect them to do the same.
I love my parents so much, and I'd say I have a good relationship with both of them, but I'm never fully myself, I never relax, and I constantly avoid situations or conversations where I know it could get awkward.  I guess I don't want to hear them slagging off gay people, so I leave the room or change the subject before I inevitably clam up and go quiet.
I know my parents love me, and I know they always will, that is not the issue here.  But once [if] they find out, I want them to like me, I want them to accept me and my lifestyle.

In my late teens I went through a rough time, and shut myself off from everyone.  I had no relationship with my family at all, especially my mum.  Now that I've finally got that back, I can't bear to lose it.  I've cried through writing this whole thing, I am just at such a loss here.

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