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How to Come Out to Someone Who Just Doesn't Understand?

Discussion in 'Coming Out Advice' started by KittenSanity, Dec 30, 2015.

  1. KittenSanity

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    Prepare for long blocks of text, I have a hard time keeping things short but I tried, I'm sorry ;-;

    I'm 14 years old, mostly lesbian, and out to probably about half the people I know, but the only people in my family that know are my mom, step dad, and my two brothers that are both about a year younger than me. I'm comfortable telling most people, and the only reason many people don't know is because I keep it on a need-to-know basis. This, though, isn't about those people. This is about coming out to my dad.

    So, I've tried coming out to him twice before. The first time was by accident, I was sitting in the living room with my dad and little sister, just watching tv while I was texting my friend (current gf) via skype. Suddenly, she said "hey, I have something to confess to you" and I knew that she was about to tell me she liked me, because she'd discussed it with my best friend beforehand, who had then given me a heads up about it. So I got really excited and my sister started to bother me, and I turned to her and said "leave me alone, I can't talk right now I'm about to have a girlfriend!" and my dad heard. I did that by accident, but wasn't too worried, because I figured now was as good a time as any to tell him. He took it as a joke though, didn't think I was serious...

    (note: my gf's name is *not* actually Rachel, but I am using it in place of her name as a security measure instead)
    I'd been dropping hints since then, and tried again a few nights ago when I said I was planning to go to a movie with someone, of course he asked who and I said Rachel, specifying that she was my girlfriend. I had mentioned several times before that she was my girlfriend, most of the time he thought I was just joking. So then he said "Oh, you haven't told me much about her. She's your friend that lives by your mom, right?"

    Later, I asked him what his views on the LGBT community and lifestyle were, and he went into this long explanation about how he thought they were "okay" and how he thought "it was disgusting, but it didn't affect him" and he said he wouldn't tell anyone how to live their life, so it didn't matter to him. He then went on to add that since he didn't know anyone who was like that, he didn't know a lot about them. Overall he didn't have too bad a reaction, but what he said made it clear that even after I had stated several times that she and I were dating, he still thought there was no way that I wasn't into guys.

    When he asked me what I wanted for Christmas, he also added that I couldn't have a teenage boy no matter how much I begged. He thinks jokes like that are funny and says things like that all the time, which make me really uncomfortable, and I do correct him every time. I just feel like I couldn't be making it clearer that I am not straight, but I can't tell if he just isn't understanding, isn't listening, or is in denial. How do I come out to him and make him understand when I thought I had been doing it so many times already??
     
    #1 KittenSanity, Dec 30, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2015
  2. DreamerBoy17

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    Hello, welcome to EC! (*hug*)
    (I must add that I adore your username!),

    I'm fairly sure that if you came out, your dad wouldn't react negatively in the long term. In the beginning, he might be put off and confused, but rather than the downright hateful types of parents, he seems to be there more uneducated type. Often, parents' perspectives can change when their child comes out to them.

    Your dad appears to me to seriously not comprehend what you are telling him. My dad always asks me if I want to go out with my "girlfriends", some older people use this as a term for regular friends. If he doesn't know much about the LGBT community, he might not understand that you are being serious in your terminology.

    As for coming out itself, I would have a serious sit-down discussion with him about your sexual orientation. You should be prepared to be patient and give him plenty of time to adjust. All in all, he would likely come around eventually.

    If you need anything else, feel free to wall message me once you get 10 posts. Hopefully this wasn't too scattered.

    Good luck!
    ~Cody
     
  3. KittenSanity

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    Aww, thank you ^^

    And I guess that makes sense, I just thought I was making it clear enough, but since he has no experience with the community it would make sense that he didn't realize that I was being literal. I'll keep that in mind, and possibly try that out tomorrow if I can catch him at the right moment.
     
  4. DreamerBoy17

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    Great! Keep us updated! :slight_smile:
     
  5. Alfa

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    I have to agree with dreamer. Most parents stand by their kids, and from my experience they are more concerned about how being gay/lesbian might affect their children's life (being targeted, excluded, etc...) which can lead to some denial. Don't make the same mistake I did. Be confident and direct coming out to him, and don't leave any room for doubt. He's a guy, so when you say girlfriend he probably thinks you must be saying she's your BFF. Tell him specifically about your orientation. Of course everyone is different, but I'm sure he will still love and support you.
    Also, with the whole boyfriend thing, don't let that bug you. My parents do the same thing (except girlfriend) because they expect us to be straight because (unfortunately) that's the "default" way to be.
     
    #5 Alfa, Dec 30, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2015