Although a friend or two in high school knew (because they were gay, too) I kept it from my family and everyone else. It was frightening to harbor that secret in the 1970s and 80s.
14 years ago, back in 1999, I made the decision to tell my parents and everyone else. I was tired of lying, hiding, and getting asked if I was dating a woman. I was in fact, fed up with it, because I had already dated a couple of guys and couldn't tell anyone. Telling my parents was tough... but thanks to my younger brother, it could have been much worse. I told my younger brother first and he was so supportive. He had me mail a letter to my parents (and he edited it first via email) and went to their house the day it arrived. He explained I was the same guy they've always known, but struggled to hide it for over thirty years. My dad continued talking with me, while my mother refused to speak to me for over 6 months. Then one day she called and said she just wanted me to fall in love and be happy with a partner.
THE CORRECT FAMILY'S REACTION:
I remember the reaction of a friend's parents in Maine when he told them he's gay. They said "thank God! We thought you were hiding a terminal illness!" THOSE are great, loving parents.
WHAT HAPPENS A LOT:
Fortunately, it has become a little easier for some kids to tell their peers and parents today. However, there are still some that get thrown out of their house, beaten, shunned, and even murdered by their parents. Yes, it happens and if you don't believe it, research it. There are still so many teens that take their own lives because of hateful "preachers" telling them it's evil (and those preachers should be stripped of their position and JAILED). Gay teen suicide is a serious problem..
According to the Huffington Post: Each year, one out of every three gay, lesbian or bisexual students in the San Francisco Unified School District reportedly attempts suicide. (And that's in a city that welcomes gay people- think of the statistics in towns and cities in Kansas for example). Read this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/lgbtq-youth-suicide-prevention_n_3398035.html
TO GET HELP FOR SUICIDAL GAY TEENS:
If you know a gay teen that is contemplating suicide, IMMEDIATELY CONTACT: The Trevor Project: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/. The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide you deserve immediate support please callThe Trevor Lifeline1-866-488-7386
HOW SOMEONE CAME OUT ON-LINE:
Recently, one Facebook user wasn't afraid and he took a very clever approach. Reddit user RyanSmithN posted the following photograph, which he says he uploaded to Facebook to tell friends that he's gay: The photograph has since gone viral in the blogosphere since being posted on Reddit.
