1st off, I'm really impressed by your character and your resolve to keep on going. It's good to see that you're making your way back up from the base! In the future, your foothold may slip again, so remember to keep on working toward that top (no pun intended...) and that sometimes it will require a fight! We're all very happy that you're here and ready to take on a new challenge. Hope we can help!
Now, let's talk about this coming-out-phobia. If you've really only had one serious straight relationship, and it was a while ago, this likely won't come as a huge surprise to your friends in the first place. That applies even if they are homophobes,
. While homophobic friends would be a little more stubborn, they're still your friends. And good friends will stand by your side even when new challenges come up. I'm not going to treat you like a teenager and try to convince you that friends are not worth having if they can't accept you. I'm telling you that you can be adults and work out your differences.
You're WAY over the hump, from the sounds of it, and while it's not time to sit back and throw a party, you can definitely afford to enjoy it a little more now!
